Moments Like These
by Michaela Martin
Summary: While wotking on a case with Danny, Lindsay gets hurt. Will it finally wake them both up? Four part story. Mostly DannyLindsay with a little Flack and Stella hintings. Please read and Review. IT really helps move the story along to find out what you guys
1. Trapped With No Light in Sight

**A/N: I'm pacing back and forth waiting for this big moment between Danny and Lindsay to rear its pretty head. According to TV Guide in their Fall preview edition they told us of a mid-season hookup. Speaking of, has anyone else noticed that they are only showing Anna Belknap from the waist up these past few episodes? I've seen a great deal of TV pregnancy cover-ups to know when I see one. That could be the main reason why they have not done anything with the Danny/Lindsay storyline because the producers are waiting for Anna to pop before they move that storyline along. Anyway here is Trapped With No Light in Sight. Post Love Run Cold. Major Danny/Lindsay fluff. I don't own CSI:NY or any of its characters. I just own the box sets and the tapes that the new episodes are on. I do however own the character of Richie, Lindsay's older brother. **

**

* * *

**

Chapter One: Trapped With No Light in Sight

It was an old mine shaft Lindsay and her older brother had discovered one boring summer afternoon. They had ridden out to the end of their father's acreage and discovered an old mine in the mountains. The pair tied up their horses and explored the outside of the mine. On a dare, ten year old Lindsay went into the old tunnel. The old rail track led deep into the mountain. By the age of the mine car, the mine hadn't been in operation in years. Shining her flashlight around the tunnel Lindsay found old hard hats, picks, shovels and gloves. Most of the items in the mine had not been seen by human eyes in a very long time.

"Richie! Come check this out!" Lindsay called out to her older brother waiting at the mouth of the tunnel. "It's so cool in here!"

Richie began to walk into the tunnel as well. Lindsay was a good ten yards ahead of him. She veered to the left following another tunnel. She was taking in everything, committing it to memory in case she would ever need it later. A few feet in front of her a hole had been covered by a piece of wood. The board broke through and Lindsay fell into the darkness. Richie heard her cry out and went in search of her. He saw her small flashlight's beam coming from the hole she was trapped in. She was about twenty feet down. There was no way that he could pull her out himself.

Hours later, Richie returned to the mine with their father and a few others that had been at their ranch. Lindsay had been trapped in a small hole for six hours with nothing but her little flashlight. Trapped with no light in sight.

That was the memory that was filling Lindsay's mind when she got trapped in the subway tunnel while working on a case. A construction crewmember had been killed while working on caving in an old tunnel. She and Danny only had a very small window of time to get the evidence they needed before the tunnel would collapse again.

"I'm going back up Montana," he called to her. "If you're not up here in five minutes, I'm going to come back down here and pull you up myself."

"I'll be right there Danny," she called back, looking over she shoulder to the left.

Lindsay's natural need to have everything that could possibly be relevant, led her down another stretch when she noticed a stray glove. Before she knew it, the tunnel was completely dark and she was trapped. Trapped with no light in sight.

Back at the truck Danny was packing up his kit, waiting for Lindsay. He looked over to the crew and noticed that she wasn't with them. He flipped open his phone and scrolled through his phone book to "Montana-Cell." He hit the send button but the phone rang and rang but never went through to her voicemail. He then hit the walkie-talkie button but all he got was static. Lindsay was still down there. His next call was to Mac.

"Mac, we got a situation here," Danny said. "The tunnel collapsed and Lindsay's still down there."

"Danny, stay calm and use your head. Have you tried contacting her?" Mac asked.

"All I'm getting is static," Danny replied, pacing on the sidewalk.

If it were up to Danny he would rip through that rubble down there with his bare hands. If it meant getting to Lindsay before something else happened he would take that chance. He loved her. What hurt him the most was that he hadn't told her yet. There had been several opportunities to do so, but he bit his tongue. Now he didn't know if he'd ever get the chance to now.

"Danny, I'm sending Hawkes and Stella over. You are under no circumstances to go in that tunnel alone. I can't afford to lose two of my best CSIs. Sit tight and wait for Stella and Hawkes."

Danny sighed in frustration. Despite how much he wanted to get in there and find Lindsay himself, he knew better than to cross Mac again.

Down in the dark of the collapsed tunnel, Lindsay's thoughts were all over the place. It was all she could do to get her focus off the pain her right leg was in. Her mind went back to that summer day when she fell through the boards in the old mine. She had only been ten at the time so she didn't have nearly as many happy thoughts to keep her occupied. Now she had thoughts of a certain born and bred New Yorker safe above waiting for her.

Danny Messer was the last thing that she had ever thought would happen when she moved to New York almost a year ago. Danny picked on her, made her laugh, blush and smile. Of all the people on the team Lindsay felt the closest to Danny. He didn't press her to talk about her past in Montana. He was her silent supporter, letting her know that when she was ready to talk he'd be there to help her. Now, when she needed him the most he was above where the light was and she was trapped in the darkness.

Stella and Hawkes had arrived. Danny greeted them warmly but he was ready to get to work. The three of them climbed down into the dark tunnel and set up their stuff. Danny set up his laptop with the search and rescue's video pole. He anxiously watched as the guys fed the camera pole through a tiny hole where he last knew Lindsay was.

"Wait! Back up! There, to the right. What is that?" he asked, pointing at the screen. "That's Lindsay's case."

"All right now that we have a visual let's get in there," Stella said to the search and rescue crew.

They left the camera in place and Danny watched for any other signs of Lindsay. It was slow moving on the search side as they moved rocks and beams.

Lindsay could hear them on the other side of the rocks. She tried to call out to them, but the only sound that came from her mouth was, "Danny!"

She managed to sit up but that was all she could do. There was a large weight lying across her right leg. She took hold of the wooden beam and tried to lift it off. From her position on the ground and the way that her leg was there was no way she could get this off by herself. She took a big breath of air and let it out slowly.

Danny could see dust moving and relaxed slightly knowing that they were in the right place. He saw a small foot come into view and it took all he had to not jump from the screen and start tearing through those rocks with his bare hands.

It took the crew nearly two hours to cut through the rocks a debris to create a tunnel large enough to fit a stretcher through. Unknown to everyone, Lindsay's situation was becoming worse with every passing moment. The beam had broken her leg and she was slowly bleeding out. They had a very short amount of time before they would lose her.

Danny donned a headlamp and began the crawl to Lindsay. He was terrified for her and angry with himself for letting her go off by herself in an unstable environment. Once he was through the tunnel he called back for the stretcher. He crawled over to Lindsay, who was now very sleepy and she was starting to drift.

"Montana?" Danny called in a soft voice. When she didn't respond he called to her again. He cradled her head in his lap, pushing her hair out of her face. "Lindsay? Lindsay, open your eyes. Lindsay, look at me."

He took hold of her hand, massaging it, trying to get her to wake up. "Montana! Come on Lindsay, wake up. Lindsay, open your eyes. Baby, please."

"Danny?" her soft voice called out weakly. "Danny?"

"I'm here Lindsay. Stay with me. I'm going to get you out of here."

"I can't move my leg. Danny I'm so scared."

Danny kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand. "I'm right here, Montana. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise."

He removed his jacket and placed it under Lindsay's head as he worked on getting the beam off her leg. She cried out in pain a few times and that damn near broke Danny's heart. He worked quickly and soon she was free. Being very careful of her leg Danny picked her up and carried her to the stretcher.

For the past few weeks Lindsay had been having reoccurring dreams about Danny saving her life. In one she was held hostage at a bank robbery, another they were working a crime scene and a suspect resisting arrest grabbed hold of her. In every dream Danny would swoop in and rescue her. Each time he would carry her away to safety. But this wasn't a dream.

Lindsay was pulled down the tunnel into the light. Danny was right behind her. He still had a hold of her hand. A chopper was waiting to airlift her to the hospital.

"Danny!? Where's Danny?" Lindsay was calling out. She could no longer feel his hand in hers. "Danny!"

Danny had barely got away from the subway when he heard her yell his name. He ran to the chopper.

"You wouldn't happen to be Danny?" the EMT asked.

"Yes sir," he said as he climbed into the chopper next to Lindsay. He took her hand again and was prepared to hold it forever. He was never going to let this woman out of his sight again.

"Sir, your partner has lost a great deal of blood," the EMT said. "To keep her from going into shock I need you to talk to her. Keep her awake."

Danny stroked Lindsay's hair back and kissed her forehead. "So what is this Montana, proof that whatever I can do you can do better?" he teased. "Lindsay? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me. I want to know that you're hearing what I'm saying."

Despite her weakness, Lindsay "Montana" Monroe managed to intertwine her fingers with Danny's. Danny smiled down at her with the relief that she could hear him. He thought carefully before he spoke again. He leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"I love you Lindsay Monroe," was the last thing that Lindsay heard before her entire world went black. She passed into Dreamland where everything there had some connection to Danny. She was standing on the corner of a city street. On one corner was Cozy's; another was Ray's Pizza. She walked down the street and she passed a pet shop but the only pet inside was a kinkajou. She looked up from the pet shop to see Danny standing there, waiting for her.

She ran to him, jumping into his waiting, open arms. He spun her around holding her close. She buried her face into the crook of his neck Her position in his arms changed as he carried her like he had when they were doing the experiment outside the water tower.

Lindsay was taken immediately to surgery. Danny sat in the waiting room. When staying sat became too tedious for him he took to pacing. One by one the other members of the team arrived. Mac was the first to arrive with Peyton, then Stella and Hawkes got there. Flack was the last to arrive. He had just got there when the surgeon came out into the waiting room.

"My name is Dr. Russell. I was the lead surgeon on Detective Lindsay Monroe. Detective Monroe is in stable condition," he began. "She lost a great deal of blood. Ten more minutes and there would have been nothing we could have done. The beam fractured her right tibia and fibula. It also dislocated her knee. We set her leg with titanium pins and she is in a full leg cast. With intense physical therapy Detective Monroe should be back to normal in about six months."

"That's good news, doctor," Mac said, shaking the Dr. Russell's hand. "Thank you so much."

No one was more relived about Lindsay than one Danny Messer. He also shook Dr. Russell's hand and beamed happily. Montana was going to be all right.

"Can we see her?" Danny asked.

"She should be out of recovery in a few minutes," the doctor replied. "She should be in room 302."

The team thanked Dr. Russell. They all took the elevator to the third floor and waited for Lindsay to come down. They each went in one at a time to see her. Mac went in first.

"You gave us quite a scare young lady," Mac said sternly. "But I'm glad you're all right. You take your time getting well. You come back when you're ready. You won't be in the field until you're done with physical therapy but you can be in the lab."

One by one the rest of the team came in to see her. They each said the same thing. They were all glad that she was all right and they wished her well. Soon there was only one person who had not come into her hospital room. Danny hovered outside the door until everyone had left. Once everyone was gone he cautiously entered her room.

"You never did answer my question," was the first thing he said.

"And what would that question be?" Lindsay asked.

"This isn't some attempt to one up me? Getting trapped in a panic room with a dead guy is one thing, but to get trapped in a collapsed subway tunnel is something entirely different."

Danny pulled up the chair closer to Lindsay's bed and sat down. She looked so fragile to him, lying there broken. He couldn't help but be nervous. He wasn't sure if she had heard him say that he loved her.

"Danny," she said softly. "You want to know what I was thinking about while I was trapped in that tunnel?"

She reached over and took his hand, intertwining their fingers.

"What?" he asked, relaxing, using his other hand to cover their intertwined hand.

"You. I was thinking about all the ways you were going to mock me for getting trapped. All I could think about was getting out of there and back to you."

"Montana," Danny said. "I was going crazy just sitting there waiting to get to you. If I could have, I would have ripped that debris apart with my own hands. I would have carried you out if I could have."

"I know Danny," Lindsay said, reaching across to place her hand on his cheek. "I heard what you said. It was the last thing I heard before I went out. Say it again."

"I love you Lindsay Monroe," Danny said.

"I love you Danny Messer," Lindsay replied.

Danny stood up, leaned over her and kissed her softly. His free hand went to her hair and tucked it behind her ear. He kissed the tip of her nose; each cheek then went back to her lips. They only parted for lack of air.

"I should go," Danny said. "You need your rest."

"You're not seriously going to leave me here all by myself in this place?" Lindsay asked, her eyes pleading with him to stay. "Please Danny. Just stay until I fall asleep."

"That I can do," Danny said kissing her again. He would never grow tired of doing that. He sat back in the chair and watched her as she fell asleep. Before he knew it morning had arrived. What woke him was the smell of the breakfast carts coming down the hall. He stood up and stretched out. Sleeping in hard plastic hospital chairs had not been one of his better ideas. He kissed the top of her head and quickly left the room.

He went outside for some air. Things had definitely changed in such a short amount of time. She loved him. He loved her. That's all that mattered. He spotted a guy in the corner selling flowers. Danny bought several bunches and brought them back up to Lindsay's room.

She had awoken shortly after Danny had left. She yawned and looked over at the now empty chair. Forgetting for a moment all that had happened the day before she almost thought she dreamt that Danny told her that he loved her. She looked over to the door and saw him standing there with a large bunch of flowers.

"Good morning Montana," he said. "Got these for you. They say it'll make you feel better."

"I already feel better. Not because of the flowers but because you're here," Lindsay said. "I woke up this morning and thought that everything that happened yesterday was a dream."

"It wasn't a dream."

He flashed her his heart melting smile and she knew that it hadn't been a dream. Danny was there, with her, and she was no longer trapped in the darkness with no light in sight.


	2. A Dream Come True

**A/N: I own nothing about CSI: New York except for the DVD box sets and the tapes that contain the new episodes. This is a continuation of Trapped With No Light in Sight and it parallels my first story "Some Hearts." Jasper Denham is my own creation. Enjoy!**

* * *

A Dream Come True

It had only been three weeks since her accident and she was already going stark raving mad from the boredom. Mac had banished her from the lab for at least a month after her accident. Being at home alone, all day was driving Lindsay crazy. She had run out of movies to watch, most of the TV shows that were on during the day were so stupid that she couldn't stand it. She had read every book in her bookcase, she was almost tempted to dig out her old college textbooks and start rereading those.

There had only been one other time in her life when she was stuck in her own house. It was after she had fallen through the floorboards of the old mine and had broken her ankle. She was curious person by nature and she could only take being cooped up for so long before she would snap.

The only thing that kept her from going completely crazy were Danny's bi-daily visits. He would stop in on her on his way to work and again on his way home. Sometimes he would never make it home. Not being able to see Lindsay everyday in the lab was bugging Danny as much as it bugged Lindsay to be home.

Early one afternoon Lindsay was starting to read Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time. Then a very welcome distraction came. The phone rang.

"Lindsay Monroe," she answered.

"Hey Montana," a very distinct New York accent said through the phone. "How you holding up?"

"I'm going crazy just sitting here in my apartment, you've got to get me out of here Danny," she sighed. "Daytime TV sucks, I've read every book in my apartment, I've color-coordinated my entire closet, put all of my movies, books and CDs into a database on my laptop and if I could move the furniture I'd redecorate!"

"Easy there Montana," Danny teased. "I talked to Mac for you today. If you're ready, he's willing to give you two shifts a week in the lab."

"When can I start?" Lindsay asked excitedly.

"Based on your enthusiasm, I'll let Mac you can start tomorrow," Danny said. "I'll come by later to see you ok? Italian or Chinese tonight?"

"Surprise me Danny," she said.

"I'll do that," he said. He looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one was coming so he could properly say goodbye to his Lindsay. "I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you later."

Everyone knew that something was different between Danny and Lindsay. Danny seemed a lot happier than he had been since Aiden died. Stella noticed that Danny checked his phone more often than he used to. At lunch we would disappear and come back with a bright smile on his face.

Danny stopped at his favorite Italian place and ordered enough spaghetti to feed the entire lab. When he got closer to Lindsay's place he stopped at the local bodega and bought a pack of gummy worms to add to the spaghetti. He rang her buzzer twice to let her know that it was him. She buzzed the door open. Moments later Lindsay heard a knock on her front door. Hobbling on her crutches she went over to the door. The face she had been longing to see all day since he left this morning was back.

"How you doing?" he asked, kissing her.

"Better now that you're here," she said, kissing him back. "Come in."

Lindsay got out of the doorframe so Danny could bring in their dinner. He went into the kitchen and set the takeout boxes on the kitchen table. He looked around and noticed how everything seemed to sparkle. There was not a thing out of place in the entire kitchen. He opened the cupboard and noticed all her glasses were grouped together by style, size and use. The wine glasses were all together, the tumblers, juice glasses, et cetera.

"So what did you do all day?" he asked, taking out plates.

"Shut up," Lindsay called from the living room. "If you were stuck here all day you'd clean everything in sight too!"

He piled the spaghetti onto the plates and topped them with the gummy worms. He set the forks next to the mounds of pasta and carried them into the living room. Lindsay had her leg propped up on the coffee table with a pillow under her heel.

"Bon appetite," he said, settling in next to her. "Pasta Ala Danny."

"You put gummy worms in my spaghetti?" Lindsay asked, looking over at him.

"Thought it fit," he said. "You did eat that spider and whole bunch of other bugs too."

"Oh not fair! You were there eating them along with me but I don't hear Mac or Hawkes giving you any grief about it."

"You know you're cute when annoyed," Danny said, looking over at her.

Most nights after they had their dinner, Danny would help Lindsay do up the dishes and then they would relax on the couch. Danny would lay back and Lindsay would lay on him with her head on his chest. He would wrap his arms around her and they would stay that way for hours, just talking, getting to know each other more. Lindsay told Danny things that she never thought she'd ever talk about.

She told him about her older brother Richie, some of her friends in Montana but she never told him why she was so afraid to let herself fall in love with him. With each thing that she told him, Danny would return the gesture and tell her all about his older brother Louie, his parents and what growing up with an older brother in gang was like.

"You were the last thing I came looking for when I moved to the city," she said. "I never expected to fall in love with you. I tried to talk myself out of it a few times."

"Why? You knew I liked you. I know Sid told you why I call you 'Montana.'" Danny asked, playing with a loose piece of her hair.

"I was afraid, to put it plainly," Lindsay said looking up at him.

"Afraid of what? You can tell me," Danny said soothingly, rubbing her arms.

"That you'd turn into Jasper Denham," Lindsay said. Danny could feel her shudder at the sound of that name. "Jasper was the last boyfriend I had before I left for New York. He was one of the good ole boys, could do no wrong in the eyes of my small hometown. Every girl wanted to be with him but somehow he chose me. Probably because I was going places. I was going to get out of there and make a difference. He was all cool with all the work I did but soon he became jealous and controlling. Soon all I had was him and my work. I would stay long hours at the lab just to get away from him."

Lindsay looked up at Danny. His face was so hard to read at that moment. She sighed and continued talking. "One night I had gotten off work early because we had just made a big break in the case and I was in the mood to celebrate. Jasper and I went to the local bar and Jasper got to drinking. He downed three pitchers of beer before I had even finished my first glass of wine. Things that night turned from bad to worse very quickly. Jasper got into it with a few of the other local boys and I had to break it up."

Memories of that night came back in floods. She remembered getting Jasper out of the bar before the fight could escalate. Jasper didn't take too kindly to being led out like dog on a leash. He lashed out at Lindsay. She shoved her against the brick wall of the bar, slapped her around a bit. He had broken her nose, left wrist, and bruised a few ribs.

As she talked she felt Danny's arms embrace her tighter, as if to protect her from the memories of what that guy did to her.

"I got away from him and changed every number I had, had my family lie for me. Then I got Mac's offer and I left never planning on going back. I never intended to fall for anyone. But then you happened. And you weren't going anywhere. What scared me the most about you Danny was you're so much like Jasper. You tease, you're tough, you speak your mind, you're charming when you're not being obnoxious; all things that he did. I was so afraid that you were going to be like him in the bad ways also."

"I'd never do anything to hurt you," he whispered. "Look at all that has happened in these past few weeks. I have been here night after night, holding you, comforting you, not leaving until I knew for sure that you were sound asleep and safe. Besides I got too many people who would kick my ass clear to Jersey and back if I ever did anything like that. My older brother Louie, Mac, Stella would probably shoot me, Flack, Hawkes. Hell Aiden would haunt my sorry ass. I love you Lindsay Monroe."

"I don't think I have ever thanked you for everything you've done for me," Lindsay said, rolling over carefully. "Once I'm out of this cast, we'll go somewhere for the weekend. Would you want to do that?"

"Of course."

Four months later Lindsay was reduced to a walking cast and was able to get around the lab with more efficacy. It was now clear to everyone that there was something _really_ going on between Danny and Lindsay. Stella noticed that they left and arrived together. Flack knew something was going on when Danny passed on tickets to the Yankee/Red Sox game. When Danny was out on call and Lindsay was at the lab the two were anxious and jittery until the other came back.

While she was waiting on her doctor's ok to get back to the field, Lindsay was assigned to the Trace and DNA analysis lab. There were times that Danny didn't have any reports waiting for him in either division but he still made hourly rounds to that portion of the lab. It was Hawkes who happened to have seen their kiss in the break room. Soon enough the cat was out of the bag that Messer and Monroe were more than just very good friends.

There were nights when she was asleep next to him when the nightmares of her ordeal with Jasper, combined with the terror of being trapped with engulf her subconscious. She would be screaming Danny's name and he would be there to wake her and soothe her fears and wipe away her tears. Lindsay was so grateful to have Danny in her life.

Danny was planning something special for the night Lindsay got her cast off. He did a little undercover work and found out what opera Lindsay was dying to see. Danny Messer was not the kind of guy to plan special, romantic nights out. His idea of a date consisted of pizza and beer at Ray's followed by a Yankee game. Danny was not the kind of guy that could sit still and be quiet for an entire three act opera.

Danny Messer was the football, baseball, hockey, boxing kind of guy. He was the obnoxious guy behind you at the baseball games taunting the pitcher. He was the one who would start the wave. You can't start the wave at an opera. But for Lindsay he would try anything.

Lindsay got her cast off first thing that morning. Danny had surprised her with a giant bouquet of roses on her kitchen table with a gift certificate to go a fancy Manhattan salon to have a pampering day. After that, he left her a note with his credit card to go to Macy's and pick out the nicest formal gown she could and to get him a matching suit and tie, so they wouldn't clash.

Lindsay had so much fun trying on all the fancy gowns at Macy's. She tried on long dresses, cocktail dresses, elaborate designer gowns and finally her eyes landed on the perfect one. It was a mid-calf, green satin dress with delicate black beading all over. She didn't want to take advantage of Danny's generosity but she had to find the perfect matching shoes. Once she found her dress and shoes she wandered into the men's department and soon found the right color combination for Danny. She found a black shirt with a crystalline green tie and she matched with a nice black blazer.

But the adventure didn't stop there. Once she had made her purchases she received another note from Danny. She was to come by the lab to drop off his clothes. When she arrived at the lab she found Danny in the break room with a picnic basket.

"Danny what is going on?" she asked.

"Can't I have a surprise lunch with the woman I love?" he teased.

He led her out of the break room and over to the elevator. He hit the very last button. They then took a few stairs to the roof where they had meatball hoagies, chips and sodas.

"Ok, so you're going to go home and I'll pick you up at seven. Wear your new dress," Danny said, when they had finished their lunch. He leaned in and kissed her. He had so much more planned for her that night but the best of all he hadn't planned on doing until a few weeks ago.

In his undercover work he found out what her favorite shape was for a diamond and what size she dreamed of having. He searched every jewelry store and found her ring. It was the princess cut, half carat solitaire in white gold. He had been carrying that ring around in his kit for three weeks now. He was finally ready to ask her.

Seven o'clock came around and Lindsay was dressed and ready to have her special night with Danny. Her intercom buzzed and she heard Danny's voice come on.

"You're carriage is here, Miss Monroe," he said.

Lindsay donned her black coat and headed down the stairs and outside. The sight she was met with was astounding. Danny had hired a horse drawn carriage. He stood next to it with another bouquet of roses.

"Oh my God! Danny this is amazing!" Lindsay breathed.

He held her hand as she climbed up into the carriage. She couldn't believe that her tough talking Danny had done something this romantic. He climbed in next to her, placing his arm over her shoulders. She snuggled into the crook of his arm and watched the city pass by. They toured the park before pulling up in front of the Met.

"Now I know I'm dreaming," Lindsay gasped. Danny, her Danny was taking her to the opera. "I half expected to pull up in front of Yankee Stadium."

"This is your night. Tonight you are not Detective Lindsay Monroe of the NYPD, you're not Lindsay Monroe of Montana. Tonight you are simply Lindsay, my Lindsay, the best looking girl at the Met," Danny said climbing out of the carriage. He held out his hand and she gladly took it.

They entered the Met and took their seats for the opera. Danny figured as long as he kept his mouth shut he could pass off as a proper New York gentleman and not a thug from Queens. He loved watching Lindsay watch the opera. At one point she laid her head on his shoulder and slipped her hand into his.

She was having the time of her life. She never would have ever imagined that this would be her first "real" date with Danny. They had their moments around the lab but this was the first time they were away from Mac, Stella, Flack, and Hawkes.

Before she knew it the show was over and it was time to leave. She held Danny's hand all the way back to their carriage. He pulled her close to him and kissed her once before helping her into the cab. He was getting nervous. He had never done this before, he never even thought about doing this until he met Lindsay.

The driver came to a stop at Strawberry Field. "Walk with me?" he asked.

"Of course."

They joined hands and walked around the park. Lindsay talked about how on a clear night out in Montana all you can see is stars. That was one of the only things that she missed the most about Montana. Finally Danny couldn't stand it one more second. He had to get this out before he exploded.

"Montana, Lindsay," he began. "Since I have known you, you have been the person behind me making me want to be better. I've never met anyone like you before. These past six months have been the happiest in my entire life. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you. You took a great risk opening your heart to me and I'd take on anyone who would try to hurt you again. I love you Lindsay."

Tears welled up in her eyes as Lindsay listened to Danny talk. "With that being said, will you, Detective Lindsay 'Montana' Monroe, marry me?"

"Oh my God!" Lindsay breathed. "Danny-"

He dropped to one knee and pulled the ring out of his coat pocket. "You would make me the happiest man in the world Lindsay."

"Yes Danny. Yes!" she exclaimed, with tears dripping down her face. "Yes!"

Danny slipped the ring onto her finger and stood up and hugged her tightly picking her up and spun around. His lips found hers and they kissed intensely. He scooped her up into his arms and he carried her back to the carriage. Lindsay had never been happier in her entire life. She was getting married.

It was an interesting first day back. No one had congratulated her on getting engaged to Danny. It was like they didn't know. Or if they did know, they didn't care. To Lindsay that hurt the most. She went to her work station and found a single red rose in a glass vase waiting for her. The four simple words written on the little card attached to the vase made her smile. "I love you, Lindsay."

"Who sent you the flower Lindsay?" Stella asked, already knowing the answer.

"Danny," Lindsay replied, with a smile. She reached across the desk to get her pen when Stella noticed the new piece of jewelry on her co-worker's hand.

"I am going to kill him!" Stella exclaimed, catching Lindsay's hand. "Lindsay, did Danny ask you to marry him?"

"Yeah, last night after we went to the Met," Lindsay said. "He didn't tell you?"

"Thus the reason I'm going to kill him!" Stella emphasized. "Walk over to Trace with me. Tell me everything."

Lindsay started at the beginning of her dream night. She told Stella about the salon, buying the dress and Danny's suit. She even told her every detail of their carriage ride to the Met. Just as she got to the actual proposal part Stella stopped her.

"Do you mind if we stop in the break room? I need to refresh my tea," Stella said.

"Of course. So anyway Danny asks if I wanted to walk with him in the park. I tell him how much I miss the starlit sky of Montana when…Oh my God!"

Lindsay stopped talking when she walked into the break room. Hanging across the room was a banner that read, "Congratulations Danny and Lindsay!"

"Danny did you do all this?" she asked when he came into view from behind Flack.

"The banner was Stella's idea, letting you think no one knew was all Mac and the cake is all Hawkes."

She laughed and tears formed in her eyes. She couldn't believe all this was happening to her. She went over to Danny and nestled under the crook of his arm. Glasses of champagne were passed around.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Mac began. "To Danny and Lindsay."

"To Danny and Lindsay!" everyone echoed.

The rest of the morning Danny and Lindsay were greeted with warm greetings and well wishes. Every few minutes Lindsay would look down at her left hand still not quite believing that everything was happening. Danny slipped into her work station and quietly watched her admire her ring.

"What do ya got for me Montana?" he asked.

Lindsay jumped and turned around. "The paint samples you found are a match for a yellow Mazda Spider."

"Tell me you found a registered owner in the city," Danny said, sitting next to her. He draped his arm around her and waited for the name to pop up.

"Richard Harris," Lindsay said. "Go get him."

Danny kissed her before leaving. "You'll be here when I get back?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Lindsay replied.

The only thing Lindsay had left to do now was make the very difficult call home. Despite the problems she had with her family they deserved to know about her engagement. That call would be the hardest call to make.


	3. Dad, This is Danny

**A/N: Once again I am back to bring this story to another level. First they fell in love, then he proposed. All that was left was to tell the parents. Danny takes Lindsay to Easter dinner at his parents and Lindsay and Danny take a trip to Montana. It picks up the three weeks to when A Dream Come True ended. Like I have said all along, I own nothing that has to do with the creation of CSI: New York. I do own the characters of the Messer family, Jerry, Becky and Monroe and Jasper Denham. The moment we have all been waiting for what or who is Lindsay hiding from in Montana? Find out soon!!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Three: Dad, This is Danny

Lindsay stared at the phone in her apartment. It was seven thirty in New York which made it four thirty in Bozeman. She had at least twenty minutes before her mother would be putting dinner on the table for her dad and brother. She knew that no one answered the phone while they were eating dinner, no exceptions. That was what Lindsay was counting on. She could leave her news on her parents' answering machine and not really have to talk to them about it.

Neither of her parents were very happy about the fact that Lindsay had moved so far away from home. She knew her father would be happy for her but her mother, not so much. Becky Monroe was a difficult woman to deal with. Life was either done her way or the highway. For most of Lindsay's life she had chosen the highway. Getting as far away from her mother as she could was the best thing that Lindsay had ever done.

The clock on the cable box flipped to 8:01. Lindsay picked up the phone and punched in the eleven numbers that connected her to her family, 2300 miles west. She waited patiently while it rang through.

"Hi you've reached the Monroes. We're not in right now, but if you leave your name and number we'll get back to you as soon as we can," Lindsay heard her father's voice say. The line beeped and Lindsay began to speak.

"Hi Daddy," she began. "It's Lindsay. I've got some good news. I'm getting married. Looking at the time I can see that it's dinner time there. I'll try back later."

"Hold on Lindsay," she heard her father say.

"You never answer the phone during dinner," Lindsay said, shocked.

"We do if it's our daughter calling with very good news," Jerry Monroe said. "Tell me about this man you're going to marry."

"His name is Danny. I work with him at the crime lab," Lindsay said relaxing. She had a better relationship with her father than she did with her mother.

"Is this the same Danny that pulled you out of the subway?" Jerry asked.

"Yes it Daddy," Lindsay said, smiling. "He's a really great guy and he loves me very much. He's been with me every step of my recovery."

"You do realize that we have to meet this man," Jerry said. "I don't want the first time I meet my son-in-law to be on your wedding day."

"I'll have to talk to Danny about it and I'll get back to you when I have a better idea of when we're coming," Lindsay said.

In the corner Lindsay heard her cell phone ring. She wandered over to it and picked it up checking to see who was calling. The caller id read, "Danny-Cell."

"Daddy I have to go. My pager is going off. It could be Mac calling me. Tell Richie I love him," Lindsay said.

"I will," Jerry said. "Night Lindsay."

"Bye Daddy," she replied.

She hung up her home phone and answered her cell. "Hey you."

"So, I told Mama Messer about you last night," Danny said.

"Funny, I just got done telling my dad about you," Lindsay said, moving over to sit on the couch. "He wants to meet you."

"So do mine," Danny said.

"Where are you?"

"About seven blocks from your building."

"At least meeting your parents won't take a 2300 mile trip," Lindsay sighed. "Just a forty minute drive."

"Actually, two busses, a train and a fifteen minute cab ride," Danny said. "Mommy insisted that I have you over for Easter dinner next week."

"Easter dinner with your family?"

"It won't be that bad. You'll find we're relatively normal."

"What if they don't like me? I want your mom to like me."

"I'll be there in a minute and we can talk," Danny said. "Until then, I love you."

"I love you too Danny."

She hung up the phone and sat back on the couch. Her leg throbbed from the stress of the day. She took her electric blanket wrapped it tightly around her leg and propped it up on the coffee table. She heard the jingling of keys in the hallway. Moments later Danny was in her apartment. He set down his keys, took off his jacket hanging on the back of the kitchen chair and came into the living room. He slipped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"How you doing?" he asked coming around the couch.

"My leg's hurting a little bit, but it's my own fault. Over worked it today," she replied.

"I told you to take it easy," Danny said, teasing.

"How excited were your parents about our engagement?" Lindsay asked, changing the subject.

"Mommy cried," Danny said. "She said and I quote, 'It's about time!' She was beginning to give up hope on ever having a daughter. Don't worry about it Montana, she's going to love you."

"I hope so," Lindsay said leaning into him. "Aren't you worried that she might like me more than she likes you?"

"Not possible," Danny replied. "I'm the youngest, the baby."

A week and three days later Danny and Lindsay stood outside a three story house on Queens. Lindsay was holding a plate of homemade brownies that Danny had tried to eat on the drive over. She hadn't gotten nervous about meeting his family until they got on the ferry.

"I'm warning you now," Danny said to her on the ferry. "This is a very different house you're about to enter. The Messer clan has two volumes: loud and louder. The Yankees and Giants are gods; spaghetti sauce is made by hand and not out of a jar. Aunt Fran tends to overindulge in the wine and takes up singing every song she knows in Italian. Your best bet to surviving this ordeal is to stick close to me and you'll come out in one piece."

Danny rang the doorbell and the pair was greeted by a large blond woman with the same bright blue eyes that Danny had. She gasped at the sight of them and ushered them inside the house quickly.

"Danny's here with his fiancée!" the woman yelled into the house.

Soon Lindsay was surrounded by a gaggle of Messer aunts and grandmothers. She lost sight of Danny who had been pulled away by his older brother Louie. Lindsay was shooed into the kitchen where her plate of brownies was set down next to the other piles of desserts on the kitchen table. A glass of wine was pressed into her hand.

"Give the poor girl some air!" Mrs. Messer called to the group that surrounded Lindsay. Mrs. Messer scolded the others in Italian. She put her hands on Lindsay's shoulders and looked her up and down. "You're just darling."

"Thank you ma'am," Lindsay said, her proper upbringing coming out.

"Now you're making me feel old," Mrs. Messer said. "Please call me Connie."

It took Danny twenty minutes to get away from his brother and other cousins before he found Lindsay in the kitchen with his mother. Connie Messer had Lindsay at the stove teaching her the proper way to make spaghetti sauce. Lindsay was smiling and laughing at stories that his mother was telling her.

"Ma, she's not a part of the family yet. You can't have her slaving over the stove. That happens after we're married," Danny said, teasing his mother.

Connie spouted something to Danny in Italian that made him blush. Lindsay made a mental note to ask him later what she had said. Danny took her hand and led her out of the kitchen and into the living room. In the corner two older men were playing chess; a group of younger boys were playing cards on the floor. Danny found two empty chairs and guided Lindsay to them. They sat back and Lindsay enjoyed seeing a side of Danny that she had never gotten the chance to see before. He was so relaxed and happy at home.

Soon dinner was ready and the entire clan gathered around the table. Grace was said and then the pots of spaghetti were passed around. Dinner was loud and Lindsay could barely keep up with the fast talking Messer relatives. Most of the time Danny had one arm around Lindsay's chair and the other on her leg.

"So Lindsay," Danny's father began. "How are you liking the city? Danny said you'd only been here about a year."

"I like it very much sir," Lindsay said, wiping away the spaghetti sauce from the corner of her mouth. "Danny helped make the transition from country city to city city life easier."

"When are you planning on having the wedding?" an aunt asked.

"We're planning on a spring wedding, next year," Danny said. "We need the time to plan and save for it."

The questions from the family ranged from what's Montana like to when can we expect grandbabies. Danny took the tougher questions while Lindsay was able to take the ones about her life back west. Lindsay was confidant that Danny's family liked her and was happy that Danny had found such a nice girl.

"Wow!" Lindsay gasped once they were outside. "And I thought you talked fast!"

"Mommy pulled me aside awhile ago and said that you are the sweetest girl I have ever brought home. She really likes you."

"That's good. Next is the hard part. You have to face the Monroes," Lindsay said, sliding under Danny's arm.

"You never have told me what the deal is between you and your parents," Danny said. "I just want to know what I'm walking into."

Lindsay sighed softly. "It's a long story."

"I got time," Danny said. "I love you Lindsay. I want to be able to help you."

"Becky Monroe is not my mom," Lindsay said. "She's just the woman my dad happened to have married after my mother died when I was ten. Because I was so much older when my dad remarried, Becky and I butted heads all the time. She was one of those it's going to be her way or the highway. For most of my teen years I chose the highway. I poured myself into my studies, was top of my class and got as far away from her as I could."

Lindsay sighed and took comfort in Danny's arms. "My daddy is great. He always wanted what was best for me no matter if it took all his time. He was like that with my older brother Richie as well. We were given every luxury we could get out on a Montana ranch. But the one thing that I needed the most he could never give me. I never belonged in Montana. I was always the odd girl out. I wasn't into barrel riding or being queen of the State Fair. I had dreams of Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, New York. While all the other girls had posters of the latest 80's band up in their lockers I had the Met's spring season calendar, the dates of the festivals in Europe."

Danny stood quietly listening to Lindsay. It hurt him to know that she had been so unhappy growing up. He wished he had known her then.

"I had always been curious and always wanted to discover new things. My curiosity is what got my leg broken the first time," Lindsay said, turning around in Danny's embrace to get out of the wind.

"The old mine," Danny said with a chuckle. "You're going to have to take me up there."

"You bet. We'll have to take the jeep out because I'm pretty sure you have no idea how to ride a horse," Lindsay said.

Four months later Danny and Lindsay walked hand in hand through the Billings airport. They headed to the Enterprise desk to get the keys to their rental car. They pulled out of the parking lot and headed north on I-90. They had close to a 200 mile drive ahead of them. They passed the farmland and soon they got into the mountainous region. As they drove Lindsay pointed out different locations that Danny might like.

"Once we get out to the ranch there's not a lot out there," Lindsay said. "Becky will have dinner on the table at exactly five, which is when we should get there. So we'll go in have dinner and then we can take a walk out on the range."

"Whatever you want Montana," Danny said.

"I haven't mentioned to them that we're living together so if you could not bring it up that would be really great," Lindsay said.

"Why?"

"That's just not how it's done out here and Becky will have a major problem with it and I really don't want to cause a fight."

"My lips are sealed," Danny said, resting his hand on her leg. "Lindsay, everything is going to be fine. You'll see. If you survived Easter dinner with the Messers, I can survive three days with the Monroes."

They turned off the freeway and took several winding roads and ended outside a large gate. Lindsay rolled down her window and punched in the code that opened the gate. They waited for the gate to open and then they drove down a long driveway. On either side of the dirt road was a long fence with cows on either side. They came to a stop outside a small red and white house. Lindsay killed the engine and took a deep breath before opening her door.

Danny suddenly felt really out of place in his nice slacks, button down shirt and his lucky pinstripe blazer.

"I think you two got the wrong house! The mayor lives in town!" a loud booming voice called from behind Lindsay. She turned around and saw her older brother Richie standing there.

She took off running towards the big man. He caught her in a bear hug and spun her around. "It's good to see you sis," Richie said after he set Lindsay down. "Pop's going to be so happy to see you. Incoming! Her royal Becky-kins is coming this way."

Richie had as much disdain for his stepmother that Lindsay had. He had the lucky break of getting to work with his father out on the range most of the time so he was spared the torture of having to spend any real amount of time with Becky.

"Richie, how busy are you right now?" Lindsay asked.

"No way Lindsay. I am not going in there until she rings that damn bell," Richie said.

"I hate you very much right now," Lindsay said, hitting her large brother in the shoulder.

"Hello Lindsay," Becky Monroe said, coldly.

"Hello Becky," Lindsay replied, turning away from her brother. She went back to Danny's side and took hold of his hand. "Becky, this is my fiancé Danny Messer. Danny this is my stepmother Becky."

"How you doin'?" Danny asked, holding out his hand. It was the first time he really noticed how thick of a New York accent he had.

Becky shook it politely but the look on her face was not one of pleasure. Becky Monroe looked Danny up and down. She hadn't made up her mind about him yet.

"Let's get your things inside than you can get washed up for dinner," Becky said. "Lindsay could you come in the kitchen with me for a moment?"

"I was going to show Danny around the ranch before dinner," Lindsay said.

"Lindsay Diane, I would like your help in setting the table," Becky snapped, leaving no room for discussion.

"Fine. Danny, just take our luggage into the living room. We'll get settled later," Lindsay said. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking into the house with Becky.

She went right to the cupboard and got out the plates and glasses. She set them on the counter. She went into another drawer and pulled out her mother's old tablecloth. She spread it out on the table.

"Jasper called yesterday," Becky said. "I told him you were coming home for a short visit."

"Why the hell would you do that Becky?" Lindsay snapped, slamming the silverware drawer closed. "I thought I made it pretty damn clear that I didn't want to see or hear from him anymore."

"That is all water under the bridge now," Becky replied. "He seems to have changed. Why don't you go see him while you're here?"

"Did it ever occur to you that the only reason I came back out here was so Daddy could meet Danny? I'm engaged Becky. I'm happy. I'm not about to go visit the man that beat the hell out of me!"

Danny stood just outside the kitchen listening to what was being said. He really felt for Lindsay. He wanted to walk in there and offer to help so that there would be peace between his fiancée and her stepmother. He figured that there was nothing he could do but wait out the battle.

"All of that was just an accident Lindsay," Becky said. "Jasper never meant to hurt you. He loved you. It broke his heart when you left."

"He sure had a funny way of showing me that he loved me. When I got hurt, Danny never left my side. He was there for me every step of my recovery. The month that I was on medical leave from the lab, Danny would bring me dinner every night."

"What's your point Lindsay?" Becky asked.

"I'm not going to get into this with you Becky," Lindsay said, setting the plates on the table. "You know how I feel about Jasper and you can't guilt me into going back."

"Maybe once you see what he's done for himself, your opinion might change," Becky said.

"I don't think it will. I love Danny, I am going to marry him and you can either be happy for me or not. It's your choice."

As the two women were arguing Richie came in the front door and saw Danny sitting on the couch staring at the large family portrait hanging over the mantel.

"Waiting for the white flag to be waved?" Richie asked Danny.

"You could say that," Danny replied. "I'm Danny Messer, Lindsay's fiancé."

"Richie Monroe, Lindsay's older brother," Riche replied, shaking Danny's hand. "I give them about three more 'I'm not going to get into this with you Becky' and then it'll be safe to go in for a beer. Than it's in and out quickly to dodge any flying silverware."

"I never wanted to be rancher's wife Becky!" the two men heard Lindsay yell. The two men heard a crash in the kitchen and they both cringed.

"I'm betting that was a plate and a water glass," Richie said.

"Sounded more like vase," Danny said. Richie looked over at him with a puzzled look on his face. "I'm Italian, we tend to throw things."

The two men sat quietly until they heard the back door slam shut. Danny looked out the window and saw Lindsay storming away from the house. He got up from the couch and headed out the front door.

"Montana!" he called after her. "Lindsay!" He jogged over to her and caught her arm. "Ease up."

"Danny not right now," Lindsay said, pulling away from him. "Please."

"Ok," Danny said, holding her hand. "Where you goin'?"

"I need to clear my head. I'll be back. I love you."

Danny pulled her back to him, kissing her softly. She walked away from him, slowly letting his hand go. He watched her walk over the small hill and disappear behind it. He sighed, wondering how much worse this visit could get.

"It looks like dinner is going to be postponed," Richie said when Danny came back into the house. "Becky stormed out also." Richie handed Danny a beer. "Welcome to the Monroes."

About twenty minutes later Danny and Richie heard the back door open and then close. They heard rustling around in the kitchen and they assumed it was Becky. A few minutes later Danny looked out the front window and saw Lindsay walking with an older man. She was smiling. He took it as a good sign.

Lindsay entered the house with her father Jerry. Danny stood up and offered his hand to Jerry Monroe.

"Daddy, this is my Danny," Lindsay said.

_My Danny_. Danny liked the sound of that. Jerry took Danny's hand and shook it. The man had a grip. It took all the energy that Danny had to not grimace.

"It's nice to finally put a face to the name I keep hearing about," Jerry said. "Seems like you're quite the guy to have around in a sticky situation."

"I do what I can sir," Danny replied.

"Why don't we all go see what's for dinner?" Jerry said, leading the way to the kitchen.

In the short amount of time Becky had gotten the table set and the food all laid out. There was no sign of the mysterious object that Danny and Richie had heard be thrown.

"What smells so good Becky?" Richie asked.

"Pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and cherry cobbler for dessert," Becky replied.

Jerry took the head of the table, Becky the other end, Danny and Lindsay next to each other and Richie by himself. The food was quietly passed around. Dinner was very quiet. Too quiet for Danny's taste. He was used to having younger cousins up running around, Nanna Messer spouting off remarks about the old country in Italian, Mama Messer scolding the older kids, his father getting into with him and his uncles about how Boston was going down next year. The Monroes ate in complete silence.

"So Danny how exactly did you and Lindsay meet?" Jerry asked, setting down his fork.

"It was on a case. A man had been murdered and thrown into the tiger pen at the zoo," Danny said. "I gave Montana some helpful advice."

"It was far from helpful, Danny," Lindsay said with a shocked tone in her voice. "You set me up. You knew Mac hated to be called sir!"

"Guilty," Danny said raising his arms in defeat.

"Montana?" Jerry asked.

"It's a nickname Danny gave me Dad," Lindsay explained. "At first he called me that to bug me, but now it's because he loves me."

"What exactly do you do with your job Danny?" Becky asked.

"I analyze evidence for fingerprints, odd substances," Danny said, trying to explain the basics of his job.

"Danny is one of the best crime scene investigators on our team," Lindsay said. "He's taught me a lot in the short time I've been there."

"That's nice."

It was plain to see that Becky Monroe did not like Danny Messer. Danny could tell. He had interrogated enough suspects to know when someone did not like him. He hoped that throughout he and Lindsay's stay that her opinion of him would change.

Later that night, Lindsay offered to do the dishes and Danny volunteered to help. It was the first time they had gotten any time alone together since they had arrived. Lindsay washed and Danny dried and put away.

"I like your dad," Danny said. "He reminds me of Mac."

"What that he never smiles?" Lindsay asked.

"Mac smiles…sometimes."

Lindsay laughed for the first time since getting there. "Thank you."

"For what?" Danny asked, standing behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

"For being here. Dealing with all this with me."

Danny kissed the top of her head. "What happened between you and Becky?"

"Becky is just Becky. She knows how to push the right buttons to set me off. She wants me to come back and be a miserable rancher's wife like she is. If I hadn't gotten out of here when I did that's exactly what I would have become. She can't see that this," Lindsay said, waving her arm around the room. "Is not all that I need. The silence out here is already starting to bug me. I know it has to be bugging you."

"Sometimes quiet is nice," Danny said. He leaned down and kissed her neck, then her cheek. "Show me that Montana starlit sky you were talking about the night I proposed."

Lindsay took his hand and they left the kitchen. They walked out into the field. Danny looked up in the sky and took in the wondrous night sky. He took Lindsay's hand and pulled her to him. He held her close as they shared a kiss in the quiet Montana countryside.

The next day Lindsay borrowed her dad's truck and she and Danny drove out to the old mine. Nothing about the place had changed since the last time Lindsay had come up there twenty or so years ago. She didn't dare go in. She shined her flashlight around to show Danny the area where she had fallen in. Later that evening Richie drug Danny and Lindsay out to meet up with some friends that Lindsay hadn't seen in a long time.

Richie and his long time girlfriend Susan met them outside the local hangout. The same one where Lindsay had her last date before moving to New York. Richie promised her that Jasper would not be there, but Lindsay couldn't but be nervous. She had changed a lot since moving to New York. She had nothing in common with these people anymore except that they were all ranchers' kids.

"Danny you play pool?" Richie asked.

"You willing to lose?" Danny replied. "Did I not mention that I'm Italian? Pool is in our blood along with tomato sauce."

"You want to put your money where your mouth is?" Richie taunted.

"Let's go," Danny said, letting Richie lead the way to the tables.

Lindsay walked over with them and stuck close to Danny. She had seen him play pool on the nights they had out with Hawkes and Flack. He had even been suckered into a game at Easter. To put it plainly Danny was good. She had seen Flack lose a large chunk of cash to Danny one night.

Lindsay sat back watching her Danny kick her brother's cocky ass. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone she had never wanted to see again walk into the bar. She had hoped that he hadn't seen her but she wasn't that lucky. He smiled and nodded in her direction. Jasper Denham had just waltzed back into her life.

Danny came over to Lindsay to get another sip of his beer when he noticed her staring at someone. He recognized the fear in her eyes. She had it at night when a nightmare would consume her.

"Is that him?" Danny asked.

Lindsay nodded. "That's him."

"You want to go? Cause we can if you want to," Danny said.

"I am here on a much needed vacation with my fiancé and he's not going to get the satisfaction of driving me out."

Jasper found his way over to where Lindsay and her brother's friends were hanging out. He greeted everyone before turning to Lindsay.

"Becky wasn't kidding. Well look who's decided to come back," he said. "If it isn't little Miss Lindsay Monroe."

"Jasper," Lindsay said, slipping her hand into Danny's.

"Did the big city get to be too much for little Lindsay?" he asked, belittling her. "I knew you'd never make it in the big city. It was only a matter of time before you'd be back."

It took Jasper a moment to notice that Lindsay was clinging rather tightly to Danny's hand. He looked the New Yorker up and down.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked Danny.

"Danny Messer," Danny replied. "How you doin'?"

"'How you doin'?' Who the hell do you think you are, Joey Tribianni?" Jasper asked, laughing.

Not wanting a fight to break out between the two men Lindsay stepped in front of Jasper her hand still firmly locked in Danny's. Jasper was as tall as Flack but that was close to Flack as Lindsay would allow the comparison to go.

"Back off Jasper," Lindsay said, letting her newly acquired New York attitude take over. "We're just here to play pool with my brother."

"Well alright then. You won't mind if I join you then?" Jasper asked.

"Doubles, hundred bucks each, a game," Danny spoke up. "Me and Richie versus you and whoever."

"Hey Jack!" Jasper called to another guy in the bar. "You wanna help me teach this city boy how we play pool in the sticks?"

Lindsay smiled knowing that Danny was about to school Jasper and Jack Harrison. Danny took off his blazer and handed it to Lindsay. He opened his wallet and set down two crisp Bennys. "You boys in?"

Jack and Jasper each took out a hundred bucks and laid it on top of Danny's two hundred. Danny motioned for Lindsay to count the cash to make sure no one was shorting anyone. She was used it. The counter was her role when she went out with Danny and Flack. She was also the coat holder and Danny's lucky charm. Danny never lost a game when Lindsay was with him.

"Are you sure about this Danny?" Lindsay asked as she moved the cash to their table. "These guys are not the best losers."

"Neither is Flack but he still plays with me," Danny said, kissing her. "This is going to be fun."

Danny being the challenger allowed Jasper to break. Jasper was good but Danny was better. Danny let Richie shoot first. Richie set up a lot of really good combo shots that Danny sunk easily. Soon it was all that was left were three striped, Jasper and the eight ball and it was Danny's shot. The eight ball was in the middle of the table giving Danny the right shot for any pocket.

"Eight ball, left corner pocket," Danny called. He looked over at Lindsay winked at her and then took the shot. "And it's good!"

Richie gave Danny a high-five. Then Danny stood holding his stick just staring at Jasper. He loved seeing how red he was getting.

"You and me, double or nothing," Jasper said.

"They way you're playing tonight you'll probably pay for mine and Lindsay's honeymoon," Danny said. "Rack 'em up!"

"Jasper did Becky happen to mention to you that I was getting married?" Lindsay asked, sipping her wine. "Danny's my fiancé."

That just gave Jasper more incentive to beat Danny. The game was intense and it was very quiet around that pool table. After every shot Danny would come over to Lindsay and possessively put his arm around Lindsay. It took a little longer this time but Danny still kicked Jasper's ass. Jasper was not happy about having his ass handed to him by a city slicking yuppie like Danny.

Danny walked out of the bar happily. He had defended Lindsay without having to resort to his fists. He walked with Lindsay back to their car. She was still laughing at the look on Jasper's face when Danny had kicked his ass. This was the happiest she had ever been while in Montana.

"There's that smile I love," Danny said. "I was wondering where it went."

"I have never seen someone lose that badly before. It's like you weren't even trying."

It was late when they got back out to the ranch. Because of her dad's rules Lindsay had to say goodnight to Danny and leave him in the guest room. She hated sleeping without him. She had gotten so used to falling asleep in his arms that it was so hard to fall asleep alone. After an hour and a half of tossing and turning she got up and ventured into the kitchen. She didn't expect anyone else to be up. She found Becky sitting up at the kitchen table.

"Becky," Lindsay said.

"Why do you and Richie hate me so much?" Becky asked. "What did I do to deserve the way you two treat me?"

"Becky, you never made it easy to like you. You came into our house and changed everything. You came in here trying to replace my mom. Becky you couldn't replace her."

"I never wanted to replace Diane," Becky said. "I just wanted to be the best mom I could."

"You were so harsh. Nothing Richie and I ever did was good enough for you. You never tried to get to know us."

"You never gave me a chance to Lindsay," Becky said. "You never came to me for anything. You always went to your father. It was like I didn't exist in your life. I was just the woman you're father married."

Lindsay sat down next to Becky at the kitchen table. She knew she had to deal with her issues with Becky. If she didn't they would always be there and that wouldn't be good for her relationship with Danny.

"Becky, I'm sorry. You never deserved to be treated the way that Richie and I treated you. Like I said, you never made it easy. You made it so easy to hate you."

"If I was harsh it's because I wanted more for you than this ranch."

"Then why did you fight me on everything I chose to do?!"

"Because I didn't want to lose you!"

"But Becky you still lost me. I put 2300 miles between us on purpose. Your ways of running this house drove me away! All I wanted was for you to be proud of me! You know it took me almost a month after Danny proposed to call and tell you and Daddy? I didn't want to have to hear the disappointment in your voice. I knew that you'd find something wrong with him. You wouldn't like that he was Italian. You wouldn't like that we worked together. I had thousands of reasons to not tell you. But then I thought of the one reason why I had to tell you. It's what my mom would have wanted. She would have wanted to know."

"Lindsay, I want you to know that I think Danny is a wonderful man. He seems to really love you. Did I like Jasper? Yes. Did I agree with some of the things he did? No. But in the end I thought he had your best interests at heart," Becky said.

"Danny does. When I was trapped in that subway tunnel, Danny was on the other side just waiting to get to me. He held my hand the entire flight to the hospital. He was with me every step of my recovery. He would come by my apartment on his way to work and on his way back. He would bring me dinner, call me during the day."

"I'm glad that you found someone who makes you happy. And by the way, I know that you're living with him."

"How?"

"Let's see, it's two thirty in the morning and you're still awake. All signs point to empty bed syndrome. I don't mind if you slip in with him. Just be in your own room before your Daddy wakes up or there will be hell to pay."

"Thanks Becky," Lindsay said.

She got up from the table. "I just want you to know that I never hated you. I just severely did not like you."

"That's a little better."

Lindsay plodded into the living room and went down the hallway to the guest room. She opened the door slightly and saw that her side of the bed was empty, waiting for her. Danny looked so peaceful lying there.

"You know I can't sleep when you're staring at me Montana," Danny said, groggily. "Get in here."

So many things had changed since she had moved away. She had found the one man she would love forever, she had made friends who accepted her for who she was and she had patched things up with her stepmother. The only thing standing in her way now was the planning of her dream wedding.


	4. Messer or Monroe?

**A/N: Here it is! The one moment that all of us DL fans are praying for. What is it? Danny and Lindsay's wedding! But like most weddings something has to go wrong. But don't worry everything turns out all right in the end. My apologies to the person who has an entire story based on the top ten qualities a boy must have for Lindsay to be in love with them. I thought it would be a funny thing for Lindsay to find the night before her wedding. Additional pairings will include Flack and Stella and Mac and Peyton. The song that plays as Lindsay and the bridesmaids arrive to is Celine Dion's When I Need You written by Albert Hammond and Carol Bayer Sager. It is on Celine's Let's Talk About Love album. The second song is Then You Look at Me, written by James Horner and Will Jennings. It can be found on Celine Dion's A Decade of Song album. Once again, I own nothing that pertains to the creation of the best show on Wednesday nights. So which side of the aisle are you? Messer or Monroe?**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four: Messer or Monroe?

It was finally here. The day that Lindsay had dreamed about all her childhood. She was getting married. The night before she had been reading her old diaries from elementary and middle school. She had found a list of ten things that her ten year old heart found to be important qualities in a boy.

Number one: He has to be smart. Lindsay laughed. Danny had one quality down. He was certainly smart. He knew more worthless facts to keep a conversation going than anyone else she knew. He had not just the book smart stuff down but he was street smart too. He knew what neighborhoods were safe to be in and what ones weren't.

Number two: He has to be cute. Danny was more than cute. Danny was sexy. But sexy is not what a ten year old girl thought of when choosing the qualities of her future boyfriend. Danny had the cute geek thing going for him. She hated it when he took off his glasses. He wasn't her Danny without them.

Number three: He has to have a nice bike. So that one was a little mundane. Danny didn't have a bike. Danny didn't even have a car. Like most New Yorkers his mode of transportation was the subway. So far on Lindsay Diane Monroe's Dream Guy List Danny was two for three.

Number four: He has to be fun. Fun was a relative term at ten. Fun at ten meant you liked to get into cow pie fights, going exploring in the woods, fun at ten meant going into town to go bowling on a Saturday night. Danny was fun to be around. He was always making people laugh. Stella called him the lab clown. Lindsay always thought that he was used to being the center of attention and kept that up in public. Danny liked to go out after work. He and Flack were rival pool players and they were always dueling it out to see who was better. Danny was the kind of guy who could make a boring car ride fun. That past summer she and Danny had to drive quite a ways to get to her family's ranch. He had so many in car games that Lindsay didn't get bored. So far Danny Messer was three for four.

Number five: He has to be strong. Strong to a ten year old meant that the guy could win the test your strength thing at the fair. But now that Lindsay was older strong meant emotionally strong as well as physically strong. He had to be able to show that he had feelings. Lindsay had seen Danny at his emotional weakest. It was after Louie had gotten hurt. Danny was so tore up that he couldn't even think straight.

She knew he was physically strong. He carried her across the rooftop like she was nothing. He had carried her out of the subway tunnel. He could lift her up and spin her around with ease. Danny was definitely strong.

Number six: He had to be nice. At first Lindsay had not thought that Danny was very nice. He had played that rotten trick on her when she first met Mac. But then once they warmed up to each other she found Danny to be very nice. He was always the first to offer to go get coffee. He always made sure that she and Stella got first picks of the slices of pizza before he had a slice. Most of that was his Italian upbringing but the rest was sweet talking Danny. Danny was definitely a nice guy.

Number seven: He has to dance. It took her a long time to find out if Danny could dance. She finally found out when Stella threw a birthday party for Flack. She had set it up in the break room and everyone came in and out. Soft music was playing and Lindsay couldn't help but feel romantic when Flack asked Stella to dance with him. Danny snuck in behind her and asked Lindsay if she wanted to dance.

Danny was not the hip-hop dancer but the graceful ballroom dancer. He could waltz and he sort of knew the tango. But it was for Stella's birthday that he surprised everyone. Danny Messer could salsa.

Number eight: He has to like animals. Lindsay was a rancher's daughter. She grew up having multiple dogs, cats, horses, cows and other animals running around her house. Her perfect boy had to like animals. Danny was a goldfish person. He was never home so having a real pet like a dog or a cat wouldn't work for him. He needed the kind of animal that could go a couple of days if he forgot to feed it. So far Danny Messer was seven and a half out of eight on her scale.

Number nine: Daddy has to like him. Jerry Monroe liked Danny. Richie Monroe liked Danny. Everyone who had ever had the chance to meet Danny liked him. With that being known his one and a half points that he lost for not being an animal person and not having a nice bike had been overturned. So far Danny was shooting nine for nine.

Number ten: He always let me have the last piece of cake. Or pizza, or chicken wing, or breaded deep fried spider Danny always asked if she wanted the last slice of pizza. He would make sure she had everything she wanted before he would load up. Danny was considerate and kind. Basically Danny Messer was ten year old Lindsay's perfect boy.

She closed her diary and laughed at the silliness of the stuff she had written in those books. She had written one day that she was going to love Neil Patrick Harris for the rest of her life. The next day it had changed to Kirk Cameron. So fickle the heart of a little girl.

Everything that had led to her wedding had been a complete nightmare from the beginning. Lindsay was having the hardest time getting quotes on flowers, caterers, dress sizing, even locations. She had mentioned in passing all the troubles she had been having to Danny and that Saturday Mama Connie Messer arrived at her and Danny's apartment. Mama Messer happened to know quite a lot of people who happened to owe her favors. Danny and Lindsay got their invitations printed at half the market price. Mama Messer happened to have a friend who owned a flower shop who agreed to do Lindsay's flowers for practically nothing.

She even got her dress. Her beautiful white beaded dress made for her. Grandma Messer worked hours on end to make Lindsay the most beautiful dress. It was a tank top dress with delicate pearl beading all over. It was her wedding present from Grandma Messer.

All Lindsay had left to do was select her bridesmaids so the dresses could get made. Lindsay didn't have many friends in the city to begin with. She had Stella but that was about it. She had lost touch with her friends from college and she didn't really have that many friends back in Montana.

"Hey Stella?" Lindsay called to her friend and co-worker.

"Yeah Lindsay?" Stella replied turning around.

"I was wondering if you would like to be my maid of honor? I really don't have anyone else," Lindsay said.

"I would love to," Stella said. "You know, Peyton would love to be a part of all this too. You should ask her."

"I'll do that."

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Monroe and Mr. and Mrs. Vito Messer 

_Invite you to the union of their children_

_Lindsay Diane Monroe_

_&_

_Daniel Santino Messer_

_On Saturday April the 20th at three pm._

_Dinner reception to follow at the Plaza Hotel_

Lindsay stood in the bridal suite of the Plaza Hotel. Stella had just finished zipping Lindsay into her dress. Peyton lovingly set the veil on her head and the three of them looked into the three way mirror.

"You look so beautiful Lindsay," Peyton said.

"Danny's not going to know what hit him," Stella teased. "Really Lindsay you look beautiful."

"Thanks guys," Lindsay said, trying to not cry. She was so happy that all this was happening that she was getting tears in her eyes.

Two floors up Danny was losing the battle with his tie. Danny had never been one for ties so it really surprised him that Lindsay had picked him out a tuxedo with a tie. Flack took pity on his best friend and helped him out.

"So are you and Stella official yet?" Danny asked Flack.

"Why are you even thinking about anything but your own life Messer?" Flack questioned. "Today is all about you buddy."

Danny's older brother Louie came into the room with three bottles of beer. He handed one to Danny and Flack and then held up his own.

"To my little brother during his last few moments as a single guy in New York," Louie said. "Lindsay's a lucky girl."

The three men downed their beer and then it was time to head over to the park. Danny had arranged a special vehicle to take Lindsay to the park.

The phone in the bridal suite rang sharply.

"Miss Monroe's carriage has arrived," the concierge said.

"Carriage?" Stella questioned. "I thought we were getting a limo."

"Mr. Messer arranged this transportation himself ma'am," he replied.

"Ok. We'll be right down," Stella said. She hung up the phone and turned to Lindsay. "Come on Cinderella, you're carriage is waiting."

"The carriage," Lindsay's eyes glossed over as she remembered the night he proposed. "He is so ruining his reputation!"

The three women left the room and into the elevator. They entered the lobby and walked out the front door and Lindsay saw a beautiful white carriage being pulled by two white horses. It was all she could do to not cry.

Peyton and Stella helped Lindsay into the carriage and made sure that no part of her dress was caught in the wheels. They drove off and caught the glances of several tourists who thought it was a some famous person driving by. One little girl walking with her mother pointed and said, "Look Mommy! A princess!" Lindsay was having the time of her life.

Unbeknownst to everyone attending the Messer/Monroe wedding the Tanglewood Boys were planning on taking out Louie Messer at the wedding. The whole thing had been arranged by Sonny Sassone from his cell at Rikers. Sonny wanted revenge on Louie for sending him to prison. If he was lucky he could take out Danny too.

People were gathering around a small wooden archway in the middle of the park. Jerry, Becky and Richie Monroe were introducing themselves to the other members of the CSI team. They met Mac, Hawkes and Adam. At five to three people took their seats when they saw the black limo pull up. Louie, Danny and Flack got out and walked down the aisle to take their places. Connie nodded to the man behind the sound system and the song that always made Lindsay think of Danny came on.

_When I need you_

_Just close my eyes and I'm with you_

_And all that I so want to give you_

_It's only a heartbeat away_

_When I need love _

_I hold out my hands and I touch love_

I never knew there was so much love 

_Keeping me warm night and day_

_Miles and miles of empty space in between us_

_A telephone can't take the place of your smile_

_But you know I won't be traveling forever_

_It's cold out so hold out and do like I do _

The gathering of friends and family heard the snort of a horse and the clomping of horseshoes on the grass. Danny smiled widely as he saw the carriage pull up. Danny nodded to Flack and Louie who walked down the aisle to help Stella and Peyton out of the carriage. Because Louie was best man and Stella was maid of honor Flack did not get the luxury of getting to walk down the aisle with Stella.

When I need you Just close my eyes and I'm with you And all that I so want to give you babe It's only a heartbeat away 

_It's not easy when the road is your driver_

_Honey, it's a heavy load that we bear_

_But you know I won't be traveling a lifetime_

_It's cold out so hold out and do like I do _

_Oh I need you_

Lindsay took her father's arm and the two walked down the aisle towards Danny. Lindsay could not take her eyes off Danny's. They stopped in front of minister and Danny.

When I need you 

_I hold out my hand and I touch love_

_I never knew there was so much love _

_Keeping me warm night and day_

_When I need you _

_Just close my eyes and I'm with you_

_And all that I so want to give you_

_It's only a heartbeat away_

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Daniel Santino Messer and Lindsay Diane Monroe," the minister began. "Who gives this woman to this man?"

"I do," Jerry said. He lifted Lindsay's veil and kissed her softly on the cheek. He then took her hand and placed it into Danny's. He covered their hands with his, in a simple gesture that he had blessed this union.

"We read in Genesis two and verse eighteen, 'And the Lord God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.'' Danny and Lindsay have had their time of being alone. But no more shall they continue in this life alone. They have chosen today to say that they choose each other. If there is anyone who can give just cause as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Not a word was spoken and the minister continued. "Danny and Lindsay have written their own words of love for each other. Danny?"

Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out a scarp of paper. He cleared his throat and began to talk. "Montana, there hasn't been a time since you came into my life that I have ever wanted you to disappear. Every time I saw you I wanted to tell you how I felt. It took a subway tunnel collapse to finally wake me up. I almost lost you before I got the chance to tell you how much I really cared. Since then my love for you has grown with every passing moment. You took a great risk, opening your heart to me. I promise you now and forever I will guard your heart with my life. I love you now and forever, Lindsay "Montana" Monroe."

"Lindsay?" the minister prompted.

"When I first met you Danny, I wanted to hate you. You picked on me; you teased me all the time. But as time went on I grew to really care about you. My favorite memory of us was when your brought in all the bugs for dinner. It was the first time we had ever spent a good deal of time alone together. And then I got hurt. You never left my side. I love you so much Danny. I can't imagine my life without you. I choose today to be with you now and forever."

"Daniel Santino Messer, do you in the presence of God and all these witnesses take this woman, Lindsay Diane Monroe, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, comfort her in sickness and in health, cherish her, keeping only to her till death do you part?"

"I do," Danny said.

Suddenly out of nowhere a gunshot was heard. People hit the ground and Mac looked around trying to see where the shot came from. Lindsay fell forward towards Danny, a deep red stain growing on her pristine white dress.

"Danny," she whispered her eyes closing.

"Lindsay! No! Lindsay!" Danny yelled. He sank to the ground with her in his arms. "Montana, stay with me! Lindsay, open your eyes. Baby, please, look at me."

"This is CSI Detective Mac Taylor. Officer down in at Central Park. Single gunshot wound. Look for a wedding."

Peyton was next to Danny applying pressure to Lindsay's wound. She was still breathing and had a pulse. Danny was a wreck. He kept repeating her name over and over, trying to wake her up. Stella was doing her best to keep Lindsay's family back. In a matter of minutes an ambulance arrived. The EMTs got Lindsay onto a stretcher. Danny climbed in after them.

What was supposed to be the best day of their lives had now become Danny's worst nightmare. He held Lindsay's hand and stroked her face talking to her, urging her to wake up.

"Danny? Danny?" Lindsay called out. Her eyes opened and she was searching the area around her for Danny.

"Lindsay! I'm right here. Stay with me baby," he said, squeezing her hand.

"We're losing her," the EMT called to his partner. "She's losing too much blood."

"No! Montana, look me. Do not take your eyes off me. Lindsay, you can fight this."

Danny stared into Lindsay's eyes. He had come way too close to losing her before and he was not about to do it again. Within mere minutes the ambulance arrived at the hospital and a team of doctors rushed out to meet them. The EMTs rolled Lindsay into the ER spouting off her vitals.

"34 year old female, single gunshot wound to the lower abdomen. Pulse is rapid at 120, BP is 60 palp. She was unconscious for three minutes. She came to in the ambulance. She has lost roughly four pints of blood. We were able to start an IV."

"Let's get her to trauma one," the doctor called out. "Call the OR and get the blood back on the line, we need ten units of O negative blood stat!"

"She's A negative," Danny offered as he ran next to Lindsay's gurney, never letting go of her hand.

"Who are you?" the doctor asked Danny.

"CSI Detective Danny Messer," Danny said. "This woman is my fiancée Detective Lindsay Monroe. It's our wedding day."

"Sir, we will do everything we can to save your fiancée," the doctor said going into the trauma room.

Danny stood helpless outside the trauma room as the team of doctors and nurses worked to stabilize Lindsay. Soon he wasn't standing there alone. He looked over and saw Mac standing next to him.

"How's she doing?" Mac asked.

"She lost a lot of blood," Danny said choking up. "Mac, I almost lost her once. I'm not going to lose her again."

"I have Stella and Hawkes out searching the park. Every man in blue is out looking for whoever did this," Mac said. "The only thing I want you to worry about is Lindsay. I'll keep you informed every step of the way."

Soon Lindsay was transported to the OR and the real waiting began. Danny paced the waiting room, walked in circles around the surgical floor, punched pillows and even the wall. He got a call from his mom, letting him know that most of the guests had gone home. She and her father would bring the Monroes to the hospital as soon as they could. She offered hopeful words and prayers.

Soon after speaking to his mother Jerry, Becky and Richie arrived on the surgical floor. Becky gave Danny a tight hug. The four of them sat down on the little couch and waited. Flack and Stella came by, but Lindsay was still in surgery.

Five hours later, the doctor came out. He had a smile on his face, which Danny took as a good sign.

"Detective Messer," the doctor began. "My name is Garrett McCalister, I was the lead surgeon on your fiancée's case. The bullet entered her right pelvic region from the right and lodged itself in her upper left hip. The bullet tore her right fallopian tube which caused the internal bleeding. We had to remove her right tube and ovary. Another three inches and the bullet would have hit her spinal cord. Miss Monroe is a very lucky girl."

"When can we see her?" Jerry asked.  
"Detective Monroe should be out of recovery in a half hour," Dr. McCalister said. "She'll be in the ICU for a few days. If she does well, you can take her home by Thursday."

"Thank you very much sir," Jerry said, shaking the doctor's hand. The doctor turned back and left the family to take a breath of relief. "Why don't we go get some coffee? By the time we get back Lindsay should be to her room. Danny can we get you anything?"

"No. I have to call Mac," Danny said, heading for the door.

Danny slammed open the door to the stairwell and ran up the stairs. He came out onto the roof and let out a scream that he had been holding in all night. It was the sound of a heartbroken man. He screamed for Lindsay, himself and the anger that he had for whoever had done this. He slumped down against the wall and finally let the tears come. It could have been so much worse. He had to think positively. His Lindsay was alive and was going to be just fine.

He pulled out his cell and called Mac.

"How's Lindsay?" Mac asked.

Danny explained her injuries to Mac the best he could. Then Mac dropped the big news. They had caught the guy that had fired the shot.

"We brought in Sonny Sassone's younger brother Paulie," Mac began. "Sonny ordered a hit on your brother, Danny. The shot went bad and hit Lindsay."

"That son of a bitch!" Danny yelled. "That bastard almost killed Lindsay."

"Danny you need to calm down," Mac said. "We got him and he's going away for a long time. Go be with Lindsay. We'll be there later."

Danny hung up the phone and walked back into the hospital. He made his way into the ICU and saw Lindsay lying in a hospital bed hurt. She was surrounded by her family but she seemed to be looking for someone else. She was looking for him. Richie looked out the window of Lindsay's room and saw Danny standing there. Richie came out of the room and over to Danny.

"She's not awake but she keeps calling out your name," Richie said.

Danny walked briskly into Lindsay's room and was at her side. He slipped his hand into hers and stroked her face. Her family backed out of the room to give the two some privacy.

"Danny? Danny?" she was calling out.

"I'm right here Montana," Danny said squeezing her hand. "Come on baby, wake up. I'm here. I'm right here, Lindsay."

Lindsay's eyes fluttered and soon Danny came into focus. She smiled so happy to see his face. She was still a little groggy from the anesthesia.

"Danny what happened?" Lindsay asked as Danny climbed into the bed with her. She laid her head on his shoulder. "It's all fuzzy right now. I remember you saying 'I do.' Then everything went black."

Danny kissed the top of her head and sighed. "You were shot, by Paulie Sassone. Sonny Sassone's younger brother. Sonny ordered a hit on Louie and Paulie not being a very good shot missed and hit you instead of Louie. We rushed you to the hospital and you had to have surgery. Luckily the bullet missed any major organs. It did however damage your right fallopian tube and they had to remove it. Montana?"

Danny looked down and noticed that Lindsay had fallen asleep. He smiled and carefully moved his arm out from behind her and he climbed out of her bed. He pulled the chair closer and settled in for a long night of sitting by Lindsay's side. He had just fallen asleep when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Flack.

Danny stood up and went out to the hallway where the rest of the team was waiting. He was happy to see everyone.

"How's Lindsay?" Stella asked.

"She's sleeping right now, but she's going to be fine," Danny said. "It could have been so much worse."

"Thank God it wasn't," Stella said. "Can we get you anything?"

"There is something you can do for me," Danny said, getting an idea. "Stella, call my mom, have her bring as many of the flowers from the wedding here as she can. I want this room filled with them. Flack, run down to the bodega at get all the gummy worms they have. Then go to Mario's on 8th and get enough spaghetti for 50 people. Mac get in touch with Louie. He still has Lindsay's wedding ring."

"Danny where are you going with all this?" Hawkes asked.

"We're going to improvise and have the wedding here," Danny said. "Come on let's go."

The team split up and ran off in several directions. Hawkes went with Flack to get the food. Danny got on the phone and called the priest from his parent's church. He asked if he could come to the hospital to perform a wedding.

Roughly two and a half hours later things were coming together for Danny and Lindsay's makeshift wedding. The Monroe's returned from their hotel to find Lindsay's room filled with flowers. A long table had been set up along the wall and was covered with plates of spaghetti topped with gummy worms. The cake had been saved from the Messer cousins and now stood at the end of the table.

"What the hell is going on here?" Richie vocalized.

"It's a wedding," one of the nurses replied. "Really romantic I think."

The Monroes could not believe their eyes. They figured that Danny and Lindsay would reschedule the wedding for after she was released but they never thought that it would be ten hours after Lindsay's surgery.

"What can we do to help?" Becky asked.

"Everything is basically done," Danny said looking around. "So if you want, you can take your seats and the ceremony should begin in a little bit."

Danny waited until everyone was seated before he went back into Lindsay's room. He had sent Peyton over to their apartment to get Lindsay the dress she had wore when they worked on the subway surfer case. He now laid the dress over his arm and knocked on Lindsay's door. While she had been resting, he had closed the blinds so she couldn't see what was going on outside her room.

He stuck his head in the room and saw her sitting up in bed, looking through a photo album she had begun when she first moved to New York. Page after page were pictures of her favorite places in the city. She had sectioned them off into categories and she was now flipping through her Danny pages. Danny at the park. Danny at the lab. Danny with Louie. Danny, Danny, Danny.

"How you doin'?" he asked.

"Why are the blinds closed?" Lindsay asked, suspiciously.

"I closed them so you could get your rest. I know how you don't like people watching you sleep," Danny said, covering. "Here I brought you something." He held out the dress to her. "I'm taking you to dinner."

"What?" Lindsay questioned.

"I'll help you get changed."

It was their most tender moment in their entire relationship. Danny carefully helped her to stand. Her knees were still a little wobbly from being in bed for half a day. He carefully removed her hospital gown and laid it on the bed. Lindsay stepped into the dress and Danny zipped it up. She sat back down on the bed and Danny slipped her feet into her shoes. She checked her reflection in the mirror and found Danny behind her. He encircled her in his arms and held her close to him. For a moment nothing could harm Lindsay Monroe.

Danny offered his arm to her and they walked out into the hallway. It took Lindsay a few seconds to realize that the hallway was much different than a normal hospital hallway. She noticed the flowers everywhere. They came around the corner and she saw the group of people waiting for them.

"Danny? What is going on?" she breathed.

"We're getting married," Danny replied.

Tears formed in Lindsay's eyes as she walked down the hall on Danny's arm. Standing in front of the nurse's station was a minister, Louie, Flack, Stella and Peyton. When they got closer Stella handed Lindsay her bouquet.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here this morning to witness the union of Daniel Santino Messer and Lindsay Diane Monroe. I must say, out of all the locations I have conducted weddings; I don't think I have ever held one in the ICU of a hospital. Marriage is not something to rush into, to take lightly. It is a deep and enduring commitment. If there is anyone who has just cause as to why these two should not be joined together speak now or forever hold your peace."

Danny stared into Lindsay's eyes seeing no other person in the entire place but her. He squeezed her hand never planning to let it go.

"Danny has something he would like to tell his Lindsay. Danny?"

"Montana, not a lot in this world scares me. But the thought of going through this life alone, without you, scares me to death. Knowing that I was this close to losing you again was slowly eating away at me. I love you and there is nothing that I won't do to prove to you that I'm here and not going anywhere," Danny said, not caring about the dozens of people in the room. All he cared about and saw was Lindsay.

"It took a smoke bomb, collapsed tunnel and a gunshot for me to realize that everything I have ever wanted had been right in front of me the entire time," Lindsay began. "Danny, you are the first thing I think about every morning and the last thing I think about before I close my eyes. The only thing I heard while I was in surgery was your voice telling me over and over that you're here and to stay with you. There is no place I want to be more than encircled in your arms. In those arms, I feel no pain, no hunger, no fear because I know you're there to protect me through it all. Whatever else life has in store for us, I don't dare go through it with you there. I love you Danny, I know this to be true and real."

"Beautifully spoken," the minister said. "Daniel Santino Messer, do you in the presence of God and all these witnesses take this woman, Lindsay Diane Monroe, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, comfort her in sickness and in health, cherish her, keeping only to her till death do you part?"

"I do," Danny said.

"Lindsay Diane Monroe, do you in the presence of God and all these witnesses take this man, Daniel Santino Messer, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, comfort him in sickness and in health, cherish him, keeping only to him till death do you part?"

"I do," Lindsay said, with a tear dripping down her cheek.

"Do we have the rings?" the minister asked. Louie and Stella nodded. "These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given, it has no beginning and no end. It has no giver and no receiver for each is a giver and a receiver. May these rings remind you each and everyday of the vows you have taken here this day. Danny, repeat after me. Lindsay, with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the day of my life."

"Montana with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the days of my life."

"With this ring, I to thee, wed," the minister prompted.

"With this I to thee, wed."

He turns and takes the ring from Louie. It is a simple solid gold ring. On the inside of the ring Danny had these words inscribed, "To my Montana, wheat fields and skylines forever." He slips it onto her finger.

"Lindsay, please repeat after me. Danny with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the days of my life," the minister prompted.

Looking deep into Danny's eyes Lindsay breathes the precious words, "Danny with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the days of my life."

"With this ring, I to thee, wed."

Lindsay took the ring from Stella. It was also a simple solid gold ring. On the inside of the ring Lindsay had these words inscribed. "To my Superman." Looking directly into Danny's eyes with her own filled with tears she whispers, "With this ring, I to thee, wed."

Danny nods over to Adam who has stationed himself by the stereo. He hits the play button on the stereo and Celine Dion's Then You Look at Me begins to play.

Laugh and cry, live and die 

_Life is a dream we are dreaming_

_Day by day I find my way_

_Look for the soul and the meaning_

_Then you look at me_

_And I always see _

_What I have been searching for_

_I'm lost as can be_

_Then you look at me _

_And I am not lost anymore_

_People run sun to sun_

_Caught in their lives ever flowing_

_Once begun, life goes till it's gone_

_We have to where it's going_

_Then you look at me_

_And I always see _

_What I have been searching for_

_I'm lost as can be_

_Then you look at me _

_And I am not lost anymore_

_And you say you see_

_When you look at me_

_The reason you love life so_

_Though lost I have been_

_I find love again _

_And life just keeps on running_

_And life just keeps on running_

_You look at me and life comes from you_

The song ended and the minister spoke again. "Now, by the power vested in me by the great state of New York and the Lord God, I now pronounce you Detectives Messer and Monroe, husband and wife. Danny, you may kiss your bride."

Danny gathered Lindsay into his arms and kissed her like he had never had before. There was so much love and desire in that kiss that it took the place of Wesley and Buttercup's kiss from The Princess Bride.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Messer."

The hallway was filled with applause from the friends and family of Danny and Lindsay. The rest of the morning Danny and Lindsay thanked everyone who had come. They did all the traditional wedding things. They smashed perfectly good cake in each other's faces. Lindsay tossed her bouquet and Stella was the one who caught it.

The best part of the wedding was explaining why the spaghetti had gummy worms in it. Now of course the team got the joke but the family didn't quite get it. Lindsay explained it to her parents as being a "lab thing."

Soon the festivities got to be too much for Lindsay. Danny led her back to her room so she could relax. Danny helped her out of her dress and back into the drab hospital gown. To Danny, Lindsay could be wearing a paper bag and she would still be as beautiful to him as she was when she arrived at the park yesterday afternoon. He sat with her until she fell asleep and the last words she heard were, "Sleep well Mrs. Messer."

She smiled and thought the same thing over and over. Mrs. Danny Messer. Mrs. Lindsay Messer. Detective Lindsay Messer. Lindsay Messer, NYPD. Lindsay Diane Messer. No matter how she said it, it never sounded wrong. It was perfect.


	5. And Baby Makes Three

**A/N: Well now they're married. Now, if they could only convince Stella and Flack to go public with their relationship things would be even better. Because moving forward is the best way to go. As I have said for the past four chapters, I own nothing that is in any way connected to the best show during the 10pm time slot on Wednesday nights. Major Flack/Stella fluff paired with a Danny/Lindsay surprise as requested by one reviewer. Enjoy!

* * *

**

Chapter Five: And Baby Makes Three

Recovery for Lindsay was slow but steady. Everyone was by her side no one more than her new husband Danny. Once again she was banished from the lab for medical reasons. Just like last time Danny would call her at lunch but unlike last time he didn't have to go back to his own apartment he was coming home to her.

Everyday Danny would come home to find something else in a slightly different location than it was that morning. The first week after their make shift wedding at the hospital Lindsay slept. But the next week her urge to be busy and productive kicked in. She had all their thank you notes written and sent by Thursday. She got all of their wedding gifts unpacked and separated into groups. She stored their new china, silverware and glasses in the cabinet that Uncle Giovanni Messer built for them. By the third week of being on leave Lindsay had reorganized their closet. She put all of Danny's dress shirts in order by color, use and occasion. She did the same thing with his sweaters, ties, shoes and even his socks. Granted she did the same thing with all her clothes, makeup and hair products. Needless to say Lindsay was getting restless.

"Honey, I'm home!" Danny called as he came into their apartment. "Something smells good!"

"Lasagna, garlic bread, and Caesar salad," Lindsay called from the kitchen. "And homemade cannolis for dessert."

"Ma was here wasn't she?" Danny questioned coming into the kitchen.

"No!" Lindsay exclaimed, trying to sound insulted. Danny gave her his "I'm-Not-Buying-It" look. "So she brought the cannolis but I made everything else."

Danny went to the cupboard where the plates used to reside. "Another busy day?" he asked, searching the cupboards.

"Third cupboard second shelf," Lindsay answered, pulling the garlic bread out of the broiler.

"You have got to get back in the lab or I'm going to go crazy," Danny teased setting the table.

"You go crazy? I already am going crazy! I feel fine, even Dr. McCalister said I could be on light duty. I have to go back to work."

"Come in with me tomorrow and talk to Mac. I'm pretty sure he'll let you have two shifts a week."

"Any news on the Flack and Stella situation?" she asked, sitting down at the table.

"The official word is that they are just friends, but you and I know different," Danny said. "Apparently we are the only ones who know that Flack and Stella are together."

"We should all go on a date together," Lindsay said. "You know a nice dinner, walk in the park? I couldn't hurt."

"Flack is an incredibly stubborn guy. He's not going to do something just because someone else wants him to," Danny said.

"Sounds like someone else I happen to know," Lindsay commented.

In the month and a half since Danny and Lindsay had gotten married Flack and Stella were secretly together. It wasn't that they were afraid of what everyone would think; Stella just didn't want to be on display. She was still frightened over what had gone down with Frankie. But like Danny, Don Flack would never do anything to hurt Stella. Flack was head over heels in love with Stella.

The next morning Lindsay was ready to leave for the lab before Danny was. She was very eager to get back to work. What she hated the most about being on leave was that she couldn't be with Danny. She loved getting to be with him on cases, during the day in the lab. She had missed that the most.

Things in the lab were exactly the same as before. Nothing was new, nothing was different. Except for the pile of case files on her desk. That pile was about a foot high. She sat down and got to work. Hours had passed and she was finally beginning to see the bottom of the pile. She only looked up when she heard a knock on the door. It was Mac.

"Nice to have you back," he said. "I got something for you. Call it a belated wedding present."

Mac set down a new ID badge. "Detective Lindsay Messer" was the new name printed on it.

"Thanks Mac," Lindsay said, taking off her old badge and replacing it with the new one.

"One shift a week in the field until you are one hundred percent," Mac said. "The rest of the time you are in the lab."

"Thanks Mac," Lindsay said. "Thanks for everything."

Across the lab, hidden from the rest of the world were two other detectives sharing their affections for the other. The case that Stella had been working on was starting to get to her and she had needed a break. She slipped into the back hallway and leaned against the wall. It was her toughest case on file. She had not been able to locate a viable witness or the murder weapon. She was running out of ideas.

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, concentrating. Flack had gotten a tip about Stella's case and had come looking for her. She hadn't been in her office or the processing lab. He wandered around the lab until he found her in the back hallway.

"Hey Stel," he called softly, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Don. Hey," she replied.

"Are you all right?" Flack asked moving towards her.

"No, not really," she answered, turning away from him.

He set his hands on her shoulders then slowly moved them down her body, embracing her softly. Stella rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing in Flack's arms. She had found great comfort in those arms in the past few months that they had been together. Stella knew that Don loved her but she was still so afraid of getting hurt again that she was still distant.

"Talk to me," Flack whispered into her ear. "Let me in."

It was a defining moment in their relationship. Don hadn't pushed, prodded or done anything that would compromise Stella trusting him completely with her heart. He understood the full value of the woman that Stella Bonasera was. Stella meant everything to him. He had tried on several occasions to tell her of his true feelings but he always found reasons to hold his tongue.

"I have this guy by the balls but he's going to slip through my fingers because of a technicality," Stella sighed, looking up at Flack. "It's so aggravating."

"I know," Flack said. "We'll get him Stella."

Stella turned around in Flack's embrace and the two shared a tender kiss. In that tiny moment not another living soul existed. It was just them, lost in each other's arms and eyes. Slowly but surely the walls that Stella had built up around her were crumbling. She finally felt safe, at peace. She was happy.

It was unfortunate timing that Sheldon Hawkes happened to be taking the back stairs at that exact moment. He saw Flack and Stella in their embrace. The kiss broke and the two detectives walked off together hand in hand. Hawkes was not one to gossip but information like that could not be stored up inside one person for very long.

It was three days later while working with Lindsay in the Trace lab that Sheldon finally snapped. Danny and Lindsay had been the only ones to know that Flack and Stella were more than what they appeared. They were told on pain of death that they were to say nothing.

"Is there something going on between Flack and Stella?" Hawkes asked, out of the blue.

"Why do you ask?" Lindsay replied looking up from the fingerprint card she was studying.

"I saw them the other day in a romantic light," he said.

"Maybe," Lindsay said. "I really don't know. I've been banished from the lab for a month. I'm still trying to get used to answering my pages as Detective Messer."

"Adam calls you Messer One and Danny Messer Two so he can keep you straight," Hawkes teased. "Are you sure there's nothing going on?"

Lindsay smiled inwardly knowing the truth about Flack and Stella. She was very happy for her friend. Stella deserved a guy like Flack.

As Lindsay had found out while in the course of her engagement to Danny there were five holidays that were sacred to the Messer clan: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's and Father's day. There was no excuse for missing any of those holidays. The only place you were allowed to be on those days was the morgue because that's where Connie Messer would send you if you bailed. On Mother's Day not a single Messer woman lifted a finger to make dinner. It was all on the men of the house. Father's Day was spent in the backyard with big, thick steaks burning over the grill. Christmas was an insane day, younger cousins, nieces and nephews running in and out of the house with varying amounts of snow plastered to their coats. Lindsay loved the smell of Danny's parents house on Christmas. Peppermint, apple cider and sugar cookies wafted throughout the entire house.

This year Lindsay had a special gift for Danny for Father's Day. She had been told that it would be very hard for her to get pregnant because only one ovary remained. Now she and Danny had not been trying to conceive this early in their marriage but they both wanted it.

Father's Day was two weeks away and Lindsay was sure by the Wednesday before. She had waited to tell Danny when she was 100 percent sure. She didn't want to get his and the rest of the family's hopes up only to have to shatter it. On a day that she had a day off and Danny was on a case she had gone to her OB. She had confirmed what Lindsay already knew. She was carrying the next generation of the Messer family.

It was very hard to keep this big a secret from Danny. She wanted him to be just as surprised as his mom Connie would be. She knew it wouldn't be fair to call and tell her dad and Becky before she told Danny. She was bursting at the seams to let the secret out. She and Danny sat in their cab on the drive. Danny had made several attempts to sneak a homemade brownie from the plate, but Lindsay always managed to get it away from him just in time.

"Come on Mrs. Messer," Danny whined. "I just want one!"

"These are for Mom," Lindsay scolded. "Not for you."

There were always three staples on hand at every Messer family gathering: wine, garlic bread and cannolis. The only reason why you would not receive a glass of wine was if you were under the age of sixteen or pregnant. In some cases you could be both. Everyone would know the second Lindsay refused wine.

Danny rang the doorbell and made one last grab for the brownie plate. Lindsay slapped his hand and then warmly greeted Gina Messer, Danny's cousin. They wandered their way into the house and out to the backyard where everyone was gathered. On their way Lindsay set down her plate of brownies and Danny nabbed two glasses of wine, handing one to Lindsay.

"There's my favorite daughter-in-law!" Connie called when she saw Danny and Lindsay come into the backyard.

"How you doin', Ma?" Danny asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"Placing a bet with your Aunt Darcie when your father, her brother would burn off his eyebrows trying to light that grill," Connie said, pointing over to her husband. Vito Messer was dousing the coals of the grill with lighter fluid. "I give him another ten minutes. Go help him Danny."

Danny took another sip of his wine before handing it back to Lindsay. He then went over to his dad and snatched the matches away before any major fires were started. Connie noticed that Lindsay was only swirling the wine in her glass and not taking a single sip.

"Is everything all right Lindsay?" she asked. "Are you not liking the wine?"

"It's not that Mom," she replied. "I'm just not thirsty right now." She set the two glasses down on the picnic table.

Connie looked Lindsay up and down, looking for anything that could possibly be different about her. Then the light bulb went off. She gasped and put her hands to her mouth.

"Holy Mary! Ohhh! Baby! You have baby!" Connie sputtering. "Ohhh!"

"Ma what's wrong?" Danny asked, coming over to his mother.

"Lindsay. Baby. Baby," Connie said in a daze.

"Montana what is she talking about?" Danny said, puzzled. He pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "What about a…Baby? Lindsay are you…?"

He looked at Lindsay who was about to cry. She smiled and nodded. "Happy Father's Day Danny."

"Oh my God! You're kidding right?"

"No Danny. You're going to be a daddy," she whispered.

He ran to her so quickly that he knocked the glasses over. He scooped Lindsay into his arms and held her close. He couldn't believe it. Their doctor told them that it could be years before Lindsay would conceive or if she even would due to the shooting. He kissed her, taking her face in his hands.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"I had a feeling but I knew for sure Wednesday," Lindsay said. "Are you surprised?"

"Hell yes! How could you not tell me sooner?"

"I wanted to but I thought it would be a great Father's Day gift for you," Lindsay said.

"This is the best gift I could ever ask for."

Back at the lab word spread quickly that Mrs. Messer was pregnant. Stella was the first to congratulate her. But it was something that Flack said that stuck out the most in her mind.

"Seeing you and Danny so happy is making Stella happier," he had told her.

"Give her time Flack," Lindsay said. "I know what it's like to move on after an abusive relationship. Do you want me to talk to her for you?"

"No," Flack replied. "She's a stubborn woman. No one can make Stella Bonasera do something she doesn't want to do."

"Sounds like two other people I know," Lindsay commented.

"Cute."

Her parents were overjoyed at the news. Jerry insisted that they come to Montana for the Christmas holidays. Lindsay said she'd do her best to work it out but if they couldn't come Jerry understood.

"Your mother would be so proud of the woman you have become, Lindsay," Jerry said. "She would have loved Danny."

"Thank you Daddy," Lindsay replied.

She tossed and turned. She was unable to get to sleep. That case was still bugging her. She could not shake the feeling that she was missing something, something huge. She looked longingly at the tall dark haired man lying next to her. For the first time since Frankie's attack on her Stella felt safe. She liked the way she just fit under Don's arm. She liked the way she felt when she was with him. Stella liked that she had somewhere else she could go when she couldn't sleep at her own place. She liked everything about Don Flack. What she didn't like was how long it had taken her to realize it.

Draping her arm over his scarred midsection she snuggled in closer to the man she had truly fallen in love with. Stella Bonasera was in love with Donald Flack. The only she had left to do was tell him how she really felt. But what Stella didn't know, is that Flack already knew, he was just waiting for her to be ready.

"Hey Don?" Stella said the next morning over a cup of coffee.

"What is it Stella?" Don answered.

"I love you."

Channeling his inner Han Solo, Flack answered in the two word reply, "I know."

It was an interesting arrival for the two that morning at the lab. They walked in, hand in hand and even shared a tender goodbye kiss before going their separate ways. They had outed themselves without the help of anyone else doing it for them.

Around mid-September Danny and Lindsay went in for their ultrasound appointment. Adam had started a bet that it would be a girl. Flack, Hawkes and Sid disagreed claiming that it would be a boy. Stella and Mac were neutral. Lindsay had heard about the bet and to be honest she was torn as to which way she wanted to go. Yes her dreams would come true with either sex but in her heart she wanted to give Danny a son.

Danny on the other hand, wanted a girl to spoil. He wanted another Montana in the city instead of another one of him. He of course wouldn't care which way it would go as long as both the baby and Lindsay were safe and healthy.

They waited in the lobby of the clinic waiting for their name to be called. Soon a smiling nurse in bright colored scrubs opened the door. She looked down at the chart in her hand, checking the name.

"Mrs. Messer?" she called.

"That's us," Lindsay said, taking Danny's hand. "He can come back with me?"

"We encourage it, ma'am," the nurse said.

She held open the door and waited for Danny and Lindsay to get through. She led Danny to the ultrasound room and then disappeared with Lindsay. Danny sat like a good boy in his chair waiting for Lindsay to come back. He looked up at the walls that had several bulletin boards completely covered in baby pictures. Down the hall he heard his third favorite sound in the entire world: Lindsay's laugh.

"All right guys, the tech should be a few minutes. Congratulations," the nurse said closing the door.

A few minutes later the ultrasound tech came in and introduced herself. "Mrs. Messer, my name is Kate and I'll be doing your ultrasound today. So if you could just lie back and we'll get started. Dad, could you go stand by Mom, you're kind of in the way."

"Oh, my bad," Danny stammered. He walked to the other side of the exam table and slipped his hand into Lindsay's.

Kate flipped on the machine and got started. She took all the measurements she needed to make sure the baby was growing correctly. She gave them a due date of February tenth. She noted everything in Lindsay's chart and then moved the wand around.

"Let's see if this munchkin will quit moving around long enough for me so we can determine the gender," Kate said. She hit the freeze button and sighed. "Got'cha. It's a girl."

"Oh my God Danny! A girl!" Lindsay breathed. "Can you believe it? We're having a girl."

"I told Flack to go with Adam," Danny said. "This is great Montana."

He kissed the top of her head and she squeezed his hand. They were having a girl. A little girl who would be the pride and joy of her parents. A little girl who had an entire family to love her. A little girl who had a whole slew of eccentric aunts and uncles to shower her with advice, candy, toys and of course love. A little girl who would be the first CSI baby.

As the months went by it became harder for Lindsay to keep up her field work. So once again Mac banished her to the lab. It was too great a risk to her and the baby to be under that amount of stress. She had gone through so much that she gladly welcomed the confinement. Slowly but surely Lindsay was getting bigger. She didn't like asking for help, but she welcomed it when a task in the lab was too strenuous. But no one was more protective than Danny. Beyond his normal chivalrous behavior of being himself, Lindsay barely lifted a finger to do anything.

Around Christmas, when Lindsay hit about month six of her pregnancy Dr. Thomas, her OB gave Lindsay the worst news she could have ever wanted to hear: complete bed rest. Her blood pressure had risen too greatly and in order to relieve it she had to rest, stay off her feet, and relax. She had argued with him begging, pleading for another solution.

"Come on, Doc anything but house arrest," Lindsay begged. "Light duty in the lab only. I can't just sit at home and do nothing. It will not only drive me insane but my husband as well."

"I'm sorry Lindsay. There's no other option."

"Great. This seems to be my torture in life. To be trapped in my own house."

The first few days that Lindsay was at home went smoothly. But like every other time by the second week she was bouncing off the walls. Connie and several other members of the family came over to sit with her but even then they were running out of things to do. With the help of Grandma Messer, Connie and Aunt Darcie, Lindsay became an avid bridge, canasta, and gin player. Grandma also taught her to crochet, helping Lindsay make her first baby blanket.

Some days Connie would get Lindsay out of her and Danny's apartment and take her over to her house for a change of scenery. And it worked, for awhile. Lindsay just hated being cooped up. She hated feeling like she wasn't being a productive member of society.

One day, specifically January 23rd, Connie came over and told Lindsay they were going out for the day. Stella and Peyton got Danny's key and decorated the apartment up for a baby shower. They had balloons, a cake, finger sandwiches, and of course presents. When Lindsay returned with Connie she was greeted with a resounding. "SURPRISE!"

Lindsay saw what her friends had done for her and she of course cried. The entire afternoon they spent talking, eating and hanging out. It was the best day Lindsay had in since being put on bed rest. She opened the gifts and loved everything.

From Mac and Peyton she received a crib with a mobile. From Stella and Flack she got a baby bumper for the perimeter of the crib, a blanket, and a bright pink diaper bag. Connie got her a car seat, a baby swing and a playpen.

"So Lindsay, Danny hasn't told us what you're planning on naming this little girl," Stella said. "Can we have a hint?"

"In my family it is a tradition that a child gets their parents middle name. So I think I have Danny sold on Taylor Lindsay Messer."

"I love it!" Peyton said. "Why Taylor?"

"You're all sworn to secrecy, Mac can never know," Lindsay said pointing at Stella and Peyton. "Danny and I talked about it and we decided on Taylor for two reasons. One if it hadn't been for Mac's offer, I never would have left Montana and I never would have met Danny. Two, it was the Taylor street station where the subway tunnel collapsed on me. It was that day when Danny told me he loved me."

"Your secret's safe with us Lindsay," Stella said. "But you really should tell Mac. I think he would like to know that he made that much of a difference in your life."

"Maybe. Someday."

Later that night after everyone had left and Lindsay home alone. Danny was working that night. He wouldn't be home until the morning. She laid down to go to sleep when she started having stomach pains. They would go away for about a half an hour then they would be back. Lindsay knew she was going into labor.

She crawled out of bed and got to the phone. She called dispatch and requested a bus. Ten minutes later the EMTs arrived.

Across the city, while working a double homicide with Flack and Hawkes Danny overheard the dispatch call.

"Ambulance to 221 west 57th, apartment 26 Charlie. Pregnant female in labor," the dispatch voice garbled over the airwaves.

"Hey Danny isn't that your address?" Flack said.

"Oh my God! Lindsay! Hawkes…"

"You better get going. She'll never forgive you if you miss this!" Hawkes said, waving Danny off.

Danny jumped into the SUV and reached for the radio. He called to the ambulance that was carrying Lindsay. He found out what hospital they were heading to. He took off, breaking several hundred traffic laws. He pulled to a stop outside the hospital just as Lindsay's ambulance arrived. He ran to the EMTs fighting to get close to Lindsay.

"Sir you need to step back," one EMT told him.

"That's my wife," Danny said, holding up his badge. "Lindsay! Lindsay!"

"Danny! I am so glad you're here!" Lindsay yelled to him.

Danny got to her side and took her hand. He kissed it softly. He ran along side the gurney. They wheeled her into the ER but OB was paged and Lindsay spent a grand total of fifteen minutes in the ER. She was soon resting comfortably in an OB suite. The contractions were getting closer together and more painful. Danny was right there to have the hell squeezed out of his hand and to have ice chips thrown at his head.

Soon she was ready to go to delivery. Danny donned the yellow gown, cap, mask and booties and came with her. He coached her as she pushed, cried, swore and decided that she didn't want to be pregnant anymore.

"One more Mrs. Messer," her doctor said. "You can do it."

Lindsay took a deep breath and pushed with all her might. She cried, moaned and squeezed Danny's hand. He stroked her forehead, encouraging her. And then it came, that faint sound of a baby's cry.

"It's a girl!" the doctor exclaimed. "Daddy would you like to cut the cord?"

A nurse handed Danny a pair of scissors and the doctor showed him where to cut and little Taylor Lindsay Messer was free. She was then taken by the nurses to get cleaned up. Lindsay was taken to recovery.

Word had spread quickly and waiting outside Lindsay's room was their extended lab family. Danny came out in his scrubs and smiled warmly at his family.

"It's a girl and Lindsay's doing fine," Danny said. "Taylor should be in the nursery in a little while. We can go see her then."

About an hour later Danny stood with Flack, Stella, Hawkes, Mac, Adam and Peyton at the viewing window of the nursery. Danny held up a piece of paper that read, "Baby Girl Messer."

The nurse nodded and went to the right bassinet. She picked up Danny's baby girl and held her up for the family to see. Stella and Peyton gasped together saying, "Oh my God! Danny, she absolutely beautiful."

Soon everyone had to leave and it was just Danny, Lindsay and Baby Taylor Messer. Danny brought her into Lindsay's room and the two of them bonded over the newest addition to the family. Danny had never been happier than he was at that moment. Sitting next to his wife who was holding the one thing that he would protect with his life was the greatest feeling of accomplishment he ever had.

"Welcome to the city Miss Taylor Lindsay Messer," Danny whispered to his daughter. "Your daddy loves you more than you'll ever know."

Lindsay stared down at the tiny little girl in her arms. She was so afraid that she would never get to do this after what Paulie Sassone did to her. She held this tiny miracle, thanking God for her.

"Danny?" Lindsay whispered.

"Yeah Montana?" he whispered back.

"I love you," she said. "I love you so much. Kiss me. Like our first."

Danny stood up and leaned over her, kissing her forehead, nose, each cheek and finally he lingered on her lips devouring her. He pulled away and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I love you Lindsay. Nothing will ever change that."


	6. Stella's Day

**A/N: Apparently the only thing I am good at writing are believable weddings, so here you go, another wedding that we all wish would happen. Slightly downsized, no one gets shot, mugged or even trips. Picks up a year and a half after the events in Moving Forward. Obviously a Flack/Stella story, with Danny and Lindsay undertones. For clarification, the term "Stargazers" is from the 1860s meaning prostitute. I own nothing that is connected to these characters but a girl can dream can't she? Here we go, Stella's wedding day.

* * *

**

Chapter Six: Stella's Day

The day Flack proposed was shortly after Danny and Lindsay welcomed their daughter Taylor into the world. He had been practicing what to say for days beforehand. He wanted the moment to be perfect since his best friend raised the bar rather high for a romantic proposal.

On January 27th, Flack took Stella to Rockefeller Center to go ice skating. They skated, drank hot chocolate and then walked to Times Square. There amongst the tourists, stargazers, and paparazzi, Donald Flack, Jr., dropped to one knee. He took Stella's hand in his and looked up at her with so much love and devotion in his eyes, it would make you melt.

"Stella Bonasera, I have never experienced the love and friendship that you have given me in this past year. You have opened yourself to love; happiness, protection and I love you for it. I would never let anything come between us. Stella, you would make me the happiest man in the city, the state, the country, the world, if you would marry me?"

"Oh my God!" Stella breathed. Flack reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the little blue boxes that Stella loved so much. "Don."

"You said once that you loved these little blue boxes so I went to the place you love," Don said, opening the box. Stella looked down at a three stone ring. "For our past, present and future."

With tears dripping down her cheeks, Stella nodded and a barely audible, yes escaped from her lips. Flack slipped the ring onto her finger and stood up, kissing her. He held her to him happier than he had ever been.

"I love you Don," Stella whispered.

"I love you Stel," he whispered back.

Flack's proposal made the morning gossip chain. The first to congratulate them was Mac. He was happy that another couple were getting the chance to be happy. Danny and Lindsay were still out, taking time off to be with their little girl. That Sunday she and Don would be standing up with Danny and Lindsay when they would baptize Taylor Lindsay Messer. She and Flack were Taylor's godparents.

New pictures were slowly being added to the workstations of Danny and Lindsay Messer. Aside from their wedding photo, pictures of little Taylor were popping up everywhere. Taylor at the park with Danny, Taylor playing on the floor with Lindsay, Taylor with her grandparents, Taylor with her godparents. Stella was beginning to wonder if the littlest Messer would grow to hate having her picture taken, seeing as her proud parents were capturing her every move to film.

If baby pictures were everywhere on Danny and Lindsay's desks, than bridal magazines took over Stella's. Because she had no family to help her plan, she was on her own. She was jealous of the connections Lindsay had gotten from the Messers. When Lindsay returned from maternity leave Stella was waiting for her in the lab.

"Hey Lindsay?" Stella called.

"Yeah Stella?" Lindsay replied.

"I need your help," Stella said, looking down at the floor.

"What is it Stella? Is everything all right?" Lindsay asked, crossing the hallway to her friend.

"It's nothing serious but I could use some help getting this wedding off the ground. I don't have anyone else."

"Oh of course I'll help you! We're family Stella."

"Thank you Lindsay."

Over the next few months, Stella and Lindsay spent many of their days off in search of churches, reception halls, hotel ballrooms, anything that Stella could think of to have her wedding in. It was a girls' day. Stella, Lindsay and little Taylor in a baby backpack, trudging all over the city in search of the perfect wedding location.

It was early April when they finally the perfect location. It was an ivy covered church in Queens. It had a beautiful garden in the back, with a small pond and a gazebo. It was the best place that the girls had found.

Once they found the location everything else seemed to fall into place. One of the elderly ladies in the church had a niece that owned a flower shop. Another knew someone who was a caterer. All that was left was to find the perfect dress and to set the date. Stella wanted to wait until Taylor was big enough to be her flower girl, since she didn't have any relatives.

"Stella, don't plan your day around us," Lindsay said, bouncing Taylor on her knee. "You've been waiting for this day long enough."

"And I can wait. I want my goddaughter in my wedding. Don doesn't care when it happens, just as long as it does."

"Ok Stella," Lindsay said.

Stella went home that night and opened her date book to the next year. She had Taylor's birthday marked so she flipped ahead four months. She closed her eyes and ran her finger up and down the Saturdays in May. She counted to ten and then opened her eyes. Her finger rested firmly on May 24th.

"May 24th it is," Stella declared.

The rest of the year flew by quickly for everyone. Countless decisions had to be made. Tie or no tie for the groom and groomsmen? Chicken or sea bass? As a joke Danny suggested gummy worm spaghetti. Color of the bridesmaids' dresses. Flack learned from Danny the best way to survive the planning process was to stay as far away as possible. All he had to do was show up for his tux fittings, smile and nod.

After months of planning, bargaining the big day was finally here. Stella, Lindsay, Peyton and year and four months old Taylor were getting ready in the little room in the basement of the church. Their dresses hung in their plastic from the cleaners. A bottle of champagne sat on the little table with three glasses in various stages of fullness. Stella had her hair pulled back with glittery pins.

"I am so nervous," Stella said into the mirror.

"God, so was I," Lindsay agreed. "The waiting is the hardest part."

"What if he bails?"

"Stella, stop it," Lindsay said sternly. "Don Flack is safe upstairs with Danny Hawkes and Mac."

"It's just the cold feet talking," Peyton agreed. "This is the best day of your life."

Peyton went over to the table and brought over the three glasses of champagne. "To Stella, on the best day of her life. Now who are the secretaries at the ME's office going to drool over?"

"There's always Adam," Lindsay teased, taking a sip.

"Or the Messer baby," Peyton replied, pinching Taylor's nose.

Taylor smiled, knowing that they were talking about her. She cooed and waved her hands around in the air. Lindsay was afraid that Taylor would steal the day from Stella and Flack just because she was sixteen months old.

Soon the girls were all dressed, faces done, bobby pins adjusted and jewelry on. The three women and the baby made their way up from the basement and stood outside the sanctuary doors and waited for their cue. The ushers opened the door and the groom and his attendants were standing waiting for the bride.

_I see the questions in your eyes_

_I know what's weighing on your mind_

_But you can be sure I know my part_

_I'll stand beside you through the years_

_You'll only cry those happy tears_

_And though I'll make mistakes I'll never break your heart_

Peyton was the first to walk down the aisle. She was so happy to be included in another CSI wedding. She took slow, even steps towards the alter. She saw the impatience in Don's expression. He was eager to see Stella.

_I swear, by the moon and the stars in the sky_

_I'll be there_

_I swear, like a shadow by your side_

_I'll be there_

_For better or worse, till death do us part_

_I'll love you with every beat of my heart_

_I swear_

Lindsay was next. Taylor held onto Aunt Stella's hand as Lindsay made her way down the aisle. She was so happy to be doing this for Stella. She was so happy that this was happening to the best friend that Lindsay had ever had. She made eye contact with her other best friend, the man standing proudly behind Flack. She gave him a quick wink and then took her place next to Peyton.

_I'll give you everything I can_

_I'll build your dreams with these two hands_

_And we'll hang some memories on the wall_

_And when there's silver in your hair_

_You won't have to ask if I still care_

_Cause as time turns the page my love won't age at all_

Stella let go of Taylor's little hand and pointed her towards Danny and Lindsay. About halfway down the aisle Taylor dropped her little basket and plopped down on the carpet and began to remove her white pleather shoes and lacy white socks. Lindsay knew this would happen. She looked back at Stella who was trying very hard not to laugh. She gave Danny a look of "what do we do now?" Danny shrugged and put his hands up in defeat.

_I swear, by the moon and the stars in the sky_

_I'll be there_

_I swear, like a shadow by your side_

_I'll be there_

_For better or worse, till death do us part_

_I'll love you with every beat of my heart_

_I swear_

Stella and Mac were next. It had taken a lot out of Stella to ask Mac to give her away. She had no one else. Mac gladly accepted and took on the honor proudly. He even, at Stella's request wore his dress blues. The two stopped where Taylor was playing on the floor and Uncle Mac scooped up Taylor in his free arm and they continued to walk down the aisle. When they reached Grandma Connie on the end of the aisle Taylor squirmed in Mac's arm and she was handed off to her grandmother.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here this afternoon to witness the union of Donald Flack Jr. and Stella Bonasera," the minister said. "Who gives this woman to this man?"

"I do," Mac said, lifting Stella's veil. He then took her hand and placed it in Flack's. He then went and stood next to Danny.

"The unity of marriage is not something to be entered into lightly. If there is anyone who can give just cause as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Not a word was spoken. The minister continued on, "It is said that there is only one soul on this earth meant for another. It gives me great joy to unite two such souls. Donald Flack, do you in the presence of God and these witnesses take this woman, Stella Bonasera, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, comfort her in sickness and in health, cherish her, keeping only to her till death do you part?"

"I do," Flack said.

"Stella Bonasera, do you in the presence of God and these witnesses take this man, Donald Flack, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, comfort him in sickness and in health, cherish him, keeping only to him till death do you part?"

"I do," Stella said, with a tear dripping down her cheek.

"Do we have the rings?" the minister asked. Danny and Lindsay nodded. "These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given, it has no beginning and no end. It has no giver and no receiver for each is a giver and a receiver. May these rings remind you each and everyday of the vows you have taken here this day. Donald, repeat after me. Stella, with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the day of my life."

"Stella with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the days of my life."

"With this ring, I to thee, wed," the minister prompted.

"With this I to thee, wed."

He turns and takes the ring from . It is a simple solid gold ring. On the inside of the ring Don had these words inscribed, "I can tell from the moon." He slips it onto her finger.

"Stella, please repeat after me. Donald with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the days of my life," the minister prompted.

Looking up into Flack's blue eyes Stella whispers, "Don with this ring, I swear to always love, cherish and keep you all the days of my life."

"With this ring, I to thee, wed."

Stella took the ring from Lindsay. It was also a simple solid gold ring. On the inside of the ring Stella had these words inscribed. "My one and only." She whispers, "With this ring, I to thee, wed."

"Now by the power vested in my by the great state of New York and the Lord our God, I now pronounce you, Detectives Flack and Bonasera, man and wife. Don, you may kiss your bride."

Don gathered Stella into his arms and the two shared a tender kiss. Flack took her hand, preparing to hold it forever.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Flack Jr."

Applause filled the little church. Flack and Stella retreated down the aisle and was followed by Danny and Lindsay and Mac and Peyton. They retreated back to the prep room.

"Stella I am so sorry about Taylor," Lindsay said. "I had no idea she would do that."

"It's fine Lindsay," Stella said. "We'll be sure to give you a cut of our America's Funniest Home Video winnings."

The two friends shared a laugh and then headed out back to the church garden to start the reception. People were milling about, mingling. Danny had Taylor in his arms, quite happy to be showing her off. Lindsay headed out into the garden and slipped in next to Danny. She ticked Taylor's bare toes.

"You are so lucky that Aunt Stella likes you so much little girl," Lindsay teased.

Flack and Stella stood in the doorway, joined hands and walked out amongst their guests. The photographer was hidden amongst everyone and was getting pictures of everything. There were shots of Flack and Stella laughing and smiling. She got one of Danny whispering into Lindsay's ear.

Danny made his way up to the DJ stand. He took the microphone and tapped on his glass of champagne. "How you doin'? I'm Danny the best man. Sadly I don't have any embarrassing stories or pictures of Don. I do however remember a conversation we had right before I got married. He told me he was happy to see me finally settle down with the woman that I loved. Now, I'm telling him the same thing. Flack buddy, I am so happy to not be the only married guy in the lab anymore. To Stella and Flack!"

The guests raised their glasses and acknowledged Flack and Stella. Lindsay took the microphone next. "Hi, I'm Lindsay, the matron of honor and the mother of the show stealer. Stella was one of the first good friends that I made when moving to the city. She has always been there for me. I wish her all the luck in the world and that she can find the joy and happiness that I have found. To Stella and Don!"

The cake was cut, the bouquet thrown and soon it was time for Stella and Flack to disappear to their elusive honeymoon location. The pair was showered with rice as they ran for their limousine.

Once inside Flack turned to his Stella. "So are you happy?"

"Immensely. I love you."

"I know."


	7. She Can't Be Gone

**A/N: Starts up six years after the events in Stella's Day. Danny and Lindsay have moved out of their tiny apartment and into a small two story walkup in Manhattan. They still only have Taylor, who is seven. Stella and Flack ended up having twin boys, Eric and Hunter, who are five. Mac finally married Peyton and they have no kids. As said before, I own nothing having to do with this show or its creation. I leave that to the good graces of CBS and Jerry Bruckhimer and team.**

* * *

Chapter Seven: She Can't Be Gone

"Taylor Lindsay Messer," Lindsay yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "You have fifteen seconds to get down here!"

"My scarf isn't straight!" seven year old Taylor yelled back to her mother.

Lindsay sighed and looked down at her watch. The new student orientation at St. Sebastian's Catholic Prep started in forty five minutes and traffic was getting worse with every passing second. If they didn't leave in the next two minutes, they would not make it on time. Lindsay was already upset that Danny could not be there with them, but he was on call for the day.

"Taylor, I'm not going to tell you again!"

"All right! I'm coming!"

The pitter patter of small feet came bounding down the stairs. Lindsay could not believe that the little girl standing in front of her was the same precious gift that she and Danny had received on a January evening. Taylor had gotten the best of both of her parents. She got Danny's bright blue eyes, his New York attitude and manner of speech, Lindsay's hair color and her personality.

She and Danny had tried for more kids but they were not so lucky. The injuries that Lindsay sustained on their wedding day had finally left her unable to conceive. The Messer family consisted of Danny, Lindsay and Taylor. They were a happy little threesome and there was not a set of prouder parents in the entire city.

"Mom, explain to me why I have to go to this school?" Taylor asked, putting on her coat. "I like P.S 302. All my friends from the neighborhood go there."

"Your father, grandparents and I think that this will be a better opportunity for you. Your dad went to St. Sebastian's. You want to be like your dad, don't you?"

Taylor sighed and nodded. She wanted to be just like her dad. Taylor already had her own mini-CSI kit hidden in a suitcase under her bed. She had fingerprint dust kit (an old bottle of baby powder and an old face powder brush), sample swabs (Q-Tips), a flashlight, evidence bags (brown paper lunch sacks) and tape. Lindsay had noticed that Taylor would go around the house dusting the tables, chairs, windows and glasses for prints. Once she had left a message for Danny on the bathroom mirror in Vaseline and then left clues that would lead Danny to the message. It was a simple four word message that was left, "I love you Daddy."

Lindsay and Taylor made it out of the house and Lindsay hailed a cab. They had little under a half an hour to make it to the school on time. Lindsay was more nervous about the orientation than Taylor was. Taylor looked out the window of the cab taking in the city. Taylor loved the city. She loved the hustle and bustle of all the people in it. She liked to make up stories about the people she saw. They were spies, movie stars, moms, dad, even brothers and sisters.

Danny and Lindsay once thought that Taylor would be lonely being an only child but then they realized that she had plenty of cousins for her to play with. There was never a weekend that some relative of the Messer's would come by to take Taylor out for the day. She would always come back happy.

There were other times that Taylor would go over to the Flack's for a day. Stella and Don had twin boys who were five. Flack one afternoon made the joke about Taylor marrying one of his boys. Both Danny and Lindsay gave Flack a look. It was the "Never in a million years" look.

Much to their surprise, standing outside the school was Danny. Lindsay was just as surprised to see Danny as Taylor was. She ran over to her father. Danny scooped her up into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I thought you were on a case?" Lindsay said, kissing him.

"Well, I told Mac that this was an important day in the youngest Messer's life and I had to be there for her. I do have to get right back to the lab as soon as we're done," Danny explained. He set Taylor down and took her hand. "So, come on. What are we waiting for?"

"Absolutely nothing," Lindsay said, taking Taylor's other free hand.

The school was large and expansive. A person could really get lost if they didn't know where they were going. Luckily for the Messer's nothing had changed since Danny had been there, many moons ago. They wandered around, taking in the school before going into the library for the new student orientation.

"Welcome to St. Sebastian's Preparatory Academy," an older, large blonde woman announced. "I am Headmistress Amelia Livingston. Could I please have all of the parents of the kindergarten, first and second grade children please meet over by the periodicals?"

Several parents and children moved to one side. Another woman, younger and slender came over to the parents of the younger students. "Good afternoon," she said. "My name is Miss Charlotte Matthews, I am the head of the lower grades. I am also the first grade teacher. How many of you are going into the first grade?"

Miss Matthews knelt down to get to the kids' level. Taylor was the only one to raise her hand. "Looks like I have one student. What is your name?"

Taylor looked back at Danny and Lindsay, overcome with a bought of shyness that she got from Lindsay. "Taylor Lindsay Messer," she said quietly.

"Well Miss Taylor Lindsay Messer," Miss Matthews said, "I am honored to be your teacher this year. Who are your parents?"

Taylor pointed back to Danny and Lindsay. "My mommy and daddy are crime scene investigators. They work with my Uncle Mac, Aunt Stella, Uncle Flack, Uncle Hawkes and Aunt Peyton," Taylor said, suddenly unable to turn off her voice box. "Cept, they aren't my real aunts and uncles, but Daddy says they are because we spend more time with them than we do with Uncle Louie and Aunt Irene."

"Wow, it seems like you have quite the family. Does anyone else want to talk about their families?" Miss Matthews asked.

A few other kids spoke up. Danny was amazed at how quickly Taylor could turn on and off her shyness. She was like this with everyone. Even to those that she had known all her life, Taylor would pull out the shy card and play it to her advantage.

After Miss Matthews got a few more kids to speak up she took the twenty or so parents and kids on a tour of the lower classes.

"Each teacher has their own personal schedule that they follow from day to day. The students in my class have music and PE every Monday and Thursday afternoons. We go the library every Friday and we try to keep an accurate reading log. The kindergarten and first graders are encouraged to try to read with their parents on a daily basis. We at St. Sebastian's believe that eighty percent of learning takes place at home and not at school. Do you have any questions so far?"

The group came back to the lobby. The tour was over. "All right. We shall see all the students here on Monday. Welcome to St. Sebastian's."

Just as Miss Matthews was finishing her talk Danny's pager went off. He pulled his girls aside. "Dispatch. I have to go. I'll see you at home."

He kissed Taylor on the cheek. He hugged Lindsay and gave her a kiss. "I love you. I'll see you at home."

"I love you too."

Taylor waved to her father as he got into the Envoy and drove off into the city. She then took her mother's hand and the pair walked down the sidewalk.

"So what do you think of your new school?" Lindsay asked.

"I haven't started yet Mom," Taylor replied. "But Miss Matthews seems nice."

"I think you'll really like this school," Lindsay said looking down at Taylor.

"I think I will too, Mommy."

Later that night after Taylor was tucked into bed and the house was all quiet, Lindsay waited for Danny to return home. Even though she knew he was safe, with Mac, Stella or Flack, she still worried. She hated to hear the phone ring late at night; always afraid it would be bad news.

Soon, shortly after midnight she heard the front door open quietly, keys be set in the bowl by the door and the soft treads of feet on the stairs. She rolled over in bed to watch as he came into their room. He slipped silently into the room and kicked off his shoes. She watched him dig in his piles of clothes for his sweats as he peeled off his dress shirt and pants. He slipped in next to her, placing his glasses on the nightstand then rolling over to her.

"Welcome home," she whispered, kissing him tenderly.

"Good to be here," he replied. "I missed you today."

"I did too," she said, wiggling into the curve of his body, feeling him wrap his arms around her. This was what Lindsay loved about Danny. He could have had the hardest day of his career and he would still come home and take her in his arms. She loved the feeling of being in his embrace, feeling his day's growth on her cheek when he kissed her goodnight. To Lindsay this was her heaven.

For Christmas the year before Danny had bought Lindsay season tickets to the Met. Four nights a month for a year they got a chance to dress up, go out to dinner and to a show without Taylor. They had adjusted their schedules so they would not be on call on those nights. On those nights Taylor would go over to Grandma's and come home smelling like tomato sauce and vanilla candles.

A few weeks after Taylor had started at St. Sebastian's it was Danny and Lindsay's night out. Connie came over just as Taylor got home from school, ready to enjoy having her granddaughter over. There was not a child that Connie Messer loved more than Taylor.

Their night started out like any other. Danny got into his suit and waited for Lindsay to be ready. She loved to look her absolute best on these date nights. Danny sat down in the living room waiting for her. He heard their bedroom door open and then he heard her soft footsteps on the stairs. He looked up and saw her.

She was wearing a new dress. It was a strapless green gown with black embroidered ivy curling around her curves. She had her hair pulled up in a messy French twist. She had on the diamond journey pendant Danny had bought her for their first anniversary. She had a black silk shawl draped over her shoulders.

"You look absolutely beautiful Montana," Danny breathed. He held out his arm to her and she gladly took it. "When did you get this dress?"

"Awhile back. I was waiting for the right night to wear it," she answered.

"Glad to see that you found it."

He led her out of the house and down to the street. Sometimes Danny would hire a limo to pick them up and take them to their restaurant, but other times they would take the good old fashioned yellow taxi cab. Besides teaching Lindsay the proper way to eat a pizza, he taught her how to spot a gypsy cab. He still had issues with gypsy cabs even after that one case.

A bright yellow cab pulled to the curb and Danny opened the door for her. On the drive over to the Met, Lindsay laid her head on Danny's shoulder and enjoyed the silence between them. In those moments all the stress of the day melted away. The world then revolved around them.

After the show Danny and Lindsay walked out to the curb watching for a cab. A young man in a hooded sweatshirt walked towards them. He was completely out of place amongst the fancy dressed people coming out of the Met. He was hanging his head low and had his hands buried in his pocket.

Lindsay noticed him first and leaned closer to Danny. Danny felt her tense up and he put his arm around her tighter. The young man walked past them. He suddenly turned back and pulled out the gun that he had stashed in his pocket. He pointed it at Danny and Lindsay. Danny took a step in front of Lindsay, blocking her from the shooter.

"What do you want?" Danny asked, staying calm.

The kid looked perplexed as if this was his first hold up. He looked around nervously. Danny took a few steps closer to the kid, trying to get him to back down.

"Get back!" the kid yelled.

"Come on, you don't want to do this," Danny said. "How about I give you my wallet and my watch and we just about our business?"

Danny reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his wallet. He held it out to the kid. As the kid reached out for Danny's wallet he saw the diamond necklace hanging from Lindsay's neck.

"The necklace," the kid said suddenly. "That too."

Lindsay covered it with her hand backing away. That necklace was the first gift that Danny had ever given her. She was not about to part with it just because some punk kid had her so frightened she couldn't move.

"Montana, give him the necklace," Danny urged.

In a split second Danny heard the gun cock and then it was fired. Before he knew what had happened the kid ran down the street and he saw Lindsay fall to the ground. Everything was moving in slow motion for Danny. He ran to Lindsay's side, taking hold of her hand. A dark colored stain was growing on the front of her gown.

"Lindsay! Montana!" Danny was sobbing.

Her breathing was labored and shallow. What little strength she had was focused on Danny's hand. Danny stroked her face, whispering through his tears that everything was going to be all right.

Several other patrons had gathered around Several had pulled out their cell phones. One man knelt beside the distraught Danny, telling him that an ambulance was on the way. The man took off his jacket and pressed it over Lindsay's wound.

"Danny?" Lindsay called out. "Danny?"

"I'm right here baby. I'm right here," Danny replied.

"I love you. Tell Taylor that I'll always be with her," Lindsay was mumbling. "Danny. Danny. Dann…"

"NO! LINDSAY! LINDSAY!" Danny screamed. "Lindsay! Montana come back! Mrs. Messer, come on! Baby? Lindsay?"

Across town at the lab Mac got a call from dispatch. Shots had been fired outside the Met. One casualty. There were very few times that Mac felt like he was legitimately having a heart attack. He had it once when he found out about Claire, another when he heard about Stella and now this moment. He knew from his schedule that it was Danny and Lindsay's night at the opera. Fearing the worst he was the second on the scene. The first was Flack. The look on the young man's face was not the face that Mac wanted to see.

"Flack?" Mac asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's Lindsay," Flack said, his voice catching.

"Where's Danny?"

"With Lindsay. He won't leave her."

Mac nodded knowingly. The two men walked over to the stretcher, both placing a comforting hand on Danny's convulsing shoulders. The man in front of them was not the Danny they knew and loved. This was a heartbroken man in a Danny suit. In that instant they knew nothing in Danny Messer's life was going to be the same. Danny climbed into the ambulance and took the drive to the ME's office. Mac called ahead and had Peyton and Sid standing by to be there when Danny arrived. Solving Lindsay Messer's murder would become high priority in the lab.

"Don, I want you and Stella to go over to Danny's parents," Mac said. "I want a friendly, familiar face to tell Taylor that her mother is gone. I'll be at the lab."

Flack nodded and began the heartbreaking dialing of Stella's cell. He shakily put the phone to his ear and delivered the bad news.

"Stel?" Flack said, his voice catching. "Are you sitting down? Lindsay's gone."

"What? No!" was Stella's reaction.

"Mac wants us to go over to the Messers and tell Taylor ourselves. He wants her to have a friendly, familiar face to tell her. Meet me there?"

"Yeah."

Flack went to his car and began the drive. The silence in the car was getting to him and he flipped on the radio. He turned the stations until he heard an old Phil Vasser song come on. The song was about a man whose best friend's wife had just died and how he had been wasting time in his own life. How strange it was that Flack heard that song on the drive to his best friend's parents' place to let them know that their daughter in law had been killed.

How was he going to find the words to console them? How was he going to look his goddaughter in the eye and tell her that her mother was gone? Don Flack had no idea what he was going to say to Taylor Lindsay Messer when he saw her. He was having trouble telling himself. He came to a stop outside the Messers just as Stella came up behind him.

Stella Bonasera-Flack had a similar drive. She couldn't believe that something like this could happen to one of their own, again. First Aiden and now Lindsay. Stella, like Flack had no idea what she was going to say to Connie, Vito and Taylor Messer. All she could hope for would be the right words for her and Flack to say.

Flack took his wife's hand and they walked up to the front porch. They rang the bell and was soon showered with the soft glow of the porch light. They heard the patter of soft feet in the hallway. The door opened and Taylor stood in front of them with a quizzical look on her face.

"Aunt Stella? Uncle Don? Why are you here?" Taylor asked.

Stella knelt down in front of Taylor, hating what she was going to have to tell her. "Can we come in? We have to tell you and your grandparents something important."

Taylor nodded. She slipped in between her godparents, taking each one by the hand. Stella shut the door behind her. They were led into the living room where Connie, Vito and Taylor were watching a movie. Connie looked over at the Flacks and knew instantly something was wrong.

"Something's happened, hasn't it?" Connie said, flipping off the movie.

Stella and Flack sank onto the couch, trying very hard to keep it together. Tears were already forming in Stella's eyes.

"Yeah Connie, something has," Stella answered. "Something horrifying."

Seven year old Taylor retreated into her grandmother's lap. She had never seen her godparents this upset before. She could only assume that the news was bad.

"Tonight, just after the opera, a young man, attempted to rob Danny and Lindsay," Stella began. "Danny tried reasoning with the guy but he shot—he shot Lindsay. She's gone."

The color drained from Connie's face. She held tightly to Taylor, not believing that the child on her lap's mother was gone. He bottom lip quivered and she held back her tears. What she really wanted to do was scream and cry but she couldn't frighten Taylor.

"Aunt Stella, where's my Mommy?" Taylor asked, tears already dripping down her cheeks.

This was the question that Stella did not have the heart to answer. She left the comforting space next to Flack and crossed the room to Taylor. She knelt down in front of her. Stella took Taylor's small hands in her own.

"Taylor, your mom has gone to heaven. She's flying on a cloud watching over you," Stella said, her voice catching. "Taylor, I'm going to tell you something that your mom told me about you. You are the best thing that ever happened to your mom. She loved you more than anyone else I knew."

Tears were pouring down Taylor's cheeks. She was having a hard time understanding what Stella was telling her.

"I want my Daddy!" she exclaimed suddenly. She pried herself out of her grandmother's grasp and ran from the room, leaving the four grieving adults. Connie sat back, muttering in Italian. The ever present silent Vito sat stunned in his chair.

Danny stood across from Peyton as she undressed the still and lifeless Lindsay. There was no one else in that room but her and Danny. She slipped off Lindsay's wedding and engagement rings and placed them in an envelope. She did the same with the pendant around her neck.

"Danny, are you all right?" Peyton asked.

"No. I'm not. Nothing is ever going to be right again. She can't be gone. Damnit Peyton, she's survived a smoke bomb, a cobra bite, a subway tunnel collapse and a different gunshot wound. Why now!?"

"I can't answer that for you Danny," Peyton said. "But there is somewhere else you should be right now."

Danny nodded in agreement. He needed to go home and get his little girl. He hated to leave Lindsay in this cold place but he had to get to his Taylor. It was close to two in the morning when he pulled in front of his parent's house. The porch light was the only light on in the entire house. He noticed that Flack and Stella's cars were still out front. Danny stared at the house.

He thought about the first time he had brought Lindsay over to meet his family It was Easter dinner just after they had gotten engaged. They had gotten into the house but he and Lindsay had gotten separated. He found her later in the kitchen stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce. He had told his mother that she couldn't banish Lindsay to the kitchen until they were married. Connie had scolded him in Italian but he had never told Lindsay what she had really said. What he told her was that it was never too early to learn how to make good sauce. But what Connie Messer had really told her son that day was this, "You break her, I break you."

Danny pounded the wheel of his car venting the anger, hurt, loneliness, bitterness and heartbreak out of his system. He wanted to be able to walk into his parents house without letting out the tears he knew he hadn't finished shedding for his Lindsay. He pushed open the door and stepped on the street. He crossed the yard to the front door and found it unlocked. He quietly entered his parent's house hoping that everyone was asleep. That way he wouldn't have to talk to anyone until the sun came up. Fate was not that kind to Danny Messer. He wandered into the kitchen and found Flack sitting at the table.

"Everyone's asleep Danny," Flack said. "Stella and your Mom are in with Taylor. She cried herself to sleep about an hour ago. I figured I'd wait up for you."

"He wanted her pendant and she wouldn't give it to him," Danny said. "Before I could do anything the punk had already fired and Lindsay was dying."

Flack sat back listening to Danny talk. As Danny talked, the tears that he hadn't wanted to shed again were starting to drip again.

"You wanna hear something funny?" Danny asked wiping at the tears on his cheek.

"What?" Flack responded.

"You remember that case Mac and I had a few years ago, the one with the poisoned clothes?"

"Vaguely," Flack said. "I was working with Stella and Aiden on the Staten Island monastery case. The Jewish wedding one?"

"Yeah that one. While we were processing, I was being sarcastic about the flight of the doves representing the couples union and eternal love. Mac looked over at me and said, 'It could happen to you, you know.' I replied with 'What? Marriage?' Mac looked over at me in his serious Mac face and said, 'No love.' I laughed and we ended the conversation with me saying this, 'Don't even joke about that stuff, Mac. It's not funny.' About a year later in walks this girl and slowly but surely Mac's words start haunting my thoughts. Funny how he's always right."

Danny looked over Flack's shoulder and saw a little reddish-blonde girl standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Her bright blue eyes shone with tears. Danny got up from the kitchen table and knelt down in front of his daughter.

"I want Mommy back," Taylor sniffled, throwing her arms around Danny.

"I know baby, I know," Danny said, cradling her. "I do too."

A few days later Lindsay's parents arrived in the city for Lindsay's service. It was the first time Taylor and Danny had seen them in about four years. Danny had been out with Flack, making the arrest on the kid that had shot Lindsay. Jerry, Becky and Richie Monroe arrived at the Messer's place.

The past few days had been very hard for everyone. Most of all for Taylor. Connie had decided that there had been too many tears shed that week that no more were allowed around Taylor. She did everything she could to keep Taylor busy. She had Taylor help her make cannolis, they did 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles, watched movies, played cards; did anything to keep Taylor from being too sad.

Taylor had not seen Jerry and Becky Monroe since she was three and really had no memory of them. She became her shy self when they arrived. She hid behind her Nanna peeking every now and then at the other side of her family. Jerry was looking around the house looking for signs of his son in law.

"Where's Danny?" Jerry asked.

"He's out with Don arresting the man responsible for this," Connie said. "Would you care for some coffee?"

"That would be nice Connie," Becky said politely. "Hi Taylor. Can I have a hug?"

Taylor looked up at her Nanna and Connie nodded. She came out from behind her and crossed over to Becky. Becky threw her arms around her so tightly Taylor could barely breathe. Taylor wiggled out of Becky's embrace and went back to Nanna Connie.

"When's Danny getting back?" Jerry asked.

"He didn't say," Connie said, bluntly. Her nerves were already shot with trying to be strong for her son and granddaughter. She did not have the energy to fight with the Monroes. "Despite the reasoning behind you being here, I would like to try to have a nice visit."

"A nice visit?" Jerry snapped. "My daughter has been murdered! And you want to have a 'nice visit'? What is wrong with you?!"

"Taylor, go up to your room please," Connie said. "Nanna needs to talk to your grandparents. Ok?"

Taylor nodded and walked sullenly up the stairs to the room that she and Nanna Messer had decorated a few months back. When Connie heard the door shut she turned back to Jerry Monroe.

"I know you're upset about Lindsay! We all are! Vito and I have done everything we could to make this easier on Taylor. You should know as well as Danny what it's like to lose your wife, the mother of your children!" Connie yelled. "Danny is dealing with this tragedy in the only way he knows how. Lindsay would want this person put away so no other little girl would be without her mother! What that little girl upstairs needs right now is not for the six of us to be yelling and screaming at each other. What she needs is to be told all the wonderful things her mother did, said, created, loved. That way Lindsay will always be with us, living out in the life of Taylor Lindsay Messer. That is who we need to be focusing on. Not this."

Tears were dripping down Connie's face. She was so angry at the way Jerry Monroe was acting that it made her want to wring his neck. They were not the only ones hurting over the loss of Lindsay. It was not just the Messers and the Monroes affected by Lindsay's passing. It affected the Flacks, the Taylors, everyone around them.

"This is Danny's fault you know that right?" Jerry snapped. "He could have easily prevented this from happening. If it's the last thing I do, Danny Messer will pay for this."

"Jerry! You stop it now!" Connie shouted. "This is no more my son's fault as it is Lindsay's. Would you rather it be Danny that we bury tomorrow morning? Because that's another way this could have turned out! No one asked for this to happen."

"You don't want me to answer that question. Cause I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear what I have to say."

"Come on Pop," Richie said, putting his hand on his father's elbow. "Let's go. You need to calm down."

Richie Monroe led his father outside and out to their rental car. Becky stopped at the doorpost, turning back to Connie. "I'm so sorry Connie," Becky said. "I really am."

The next morning it was a somber service. Danny and Taylor stood closet to the casket with their pillars of strength on either side of them. Connie next to Taylor and Vito next to Danny. Behind the Messers, clumped to one side was Jerry, Becky and Richie Monroe. Beside them was Flack, Stella, Mac, Peyton, Hawkes, and Adam.

The mournful words were spoken. Then Danny addressed the mourners.

"It was a brisk fall day when I first met the woman who would become my wife. I was working with my mentor and boss Mac Taylor on a case in the zoo. This girl came up to Mac, introduced herself as Lindsay Monroe. After getting off on the wrong foot, meaning I teased her and got her on the fact that Mac didn't like to be called sir, Lindsay and I got to be really good friends," Danny read from a set of note cards he had spent the entire night writing. "I wouldn't admit it then, but I was falling in love with this little country girl. There was nothing that I wouldn't do for her. Then one day we were working on a case in the old Taylor street subway station. A construction crew was collapsing part of the tunnel to make room for a new connecting one. A crew member had gotten killed and we were down there collecting the evidence. She had followed a trail and before we knew the tunnel had collapsed again. Lindsay was trapped and I couldn't get to her."

Danny stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "That was the first time I told her that I loved her. It was on the helicopter taking her to the hospital. About a year and a half later we were married. Then she gave us the greatest present anyone could ask for. Our daughter Taylor Lindsay Messer. Yes we did name our daughter after a subway station and our boss. Because according to Montana, if it hadn't been for those two we wouldn't have what we had. Lindsay Diane 'Montana' Messer, was the best friend, wife, mother anyone could have asked for. I loved her more than she knew and I know that my life will never be the same without her in it."

The casket was lowered into the ground and it was more than Danny could take. The one thing he loved more than anything else in his life was gone and wouldn't be coming back. What was he going to do now? How on earth was he going to raise his daughter by himself? He knew he'd have his parents and his friends to help him. But would that be enough for Taylor? Would it be enough for him?

He stood alone in front of Lindsay's gravestone. Lindsay Diane Messer, loving mother, wife and friend. To my Montana, wheat fields and skylines forever. Those were the words that Danny had etched into the cold, unfeeling marble. His parents had taken Taylor back to their house for Lindsay's wake. He felt the presence of someone behind him. He turned around and faced Jerry and Becky Monroe.

"Jerry I am begging you, don't do this," Becky whispered.

"What's going on?" Danny asked, pushing up his glasses.

Jerry pressed an envelope into Danny's hand and then walked away. Danny looked down at the envelope. He tore it open and felt his heart stopped. Jerry was suing him for custody of Taylor.


	8. Monroe vs Messer

**A/N: I realize I am public enemy number one right now for killing off Lindsay. Bear with me for two more chapters and I promise everything will turn out all right. Previously on Moments Like These:  
_"Jerry I am begging you, don't do this," Becky whispered.  
_**_**Jerry pressed an envelope into Danny's hand and then walked away. Danny looked down at the envelope. He tore it open and felt his heart stopped. Jerry was suing him for custody of Taylor. **_

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter Eight: Monroe vs. Messer

Danny could not believe what he was reading. Jerry Monroe, his wife's father was suing Danny for custody on the terms that Danny was an unfit father and that it was in Taylor's best interests that she be removed from Danny's home. He stood there reading this piece of paper just after he had buried the only woman he would ever love. How could this be happening? Why would Jerry even think of doing this to him? This is not what Lindsay would want.

Danny looked in the direction that Jerry and Becky had walked. The son of bitch didn't even stick around to see his reaction. There was no way in hell that Danny would give up his daughter. Taylor was all he had left. If they took Taylor Danny would be left with nothing.

He began to think of what would even give Jerry the impression that he was an unfit father. Danny saw Taylor more than he did. Who could he even find that would say otherwise. He had to talk to Mac, get a good lawyer and fight this.

He arrived at his parents' house just as the Monroes were leaving.

"Hey Jerry! Can I talk to you for a second?" Danny called, walking over to him.

"I'll just be in the car," Becky said, walking away.

"What do you want Danny?" Jerry said, stoically.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to take the best thing that ever happened to not only me but your daughter?" Danny asked.

"It was your fault that Lindsay's gone," Jerry said. "It was your fault and I want my granddaughter away from you."

"My fault? How is this my fault, Jerry? I wasn't the one that shot her! The person who killed my wife, your daughter, name was Connor Bishop. He's 23 years old and lived in Brooklyn. He got into drugs and chose a perfect location to make off with a good chunk of cash. He's spending 25 to life in Rikers for what he did. Justice has been served, Jerry. So I'm going to ask you again, why are you taking Taylor away from me?"

"You may not have pulled the trigger but you sure as shit killed her. Ever since my daughter met you she's gotten nothing but hurt! You and your buddies think it's funny story of how you fell in love. You _knew_ that tunnel was unstable and you left her down there! Your affiliations with that gang got her shot at your wedding. To me, those all seem like signs that you didn't belong together. I'm taking Taylor away from you before you get her killed too. I'll see you in court Danny."

"I'm only going to say this once Jerry. You will not get my daughter."

"We'll see about that."

The two men stormed away in opposite directions. Jerry to his car, Danny into the house. Flack stopped him in the entry way.

"What the hell was that all about?" Flack asked.

"Jerry's going to sue me for custody of Taylor," Danny answered flatly.

"You're kidding me right?" Flack answered.

"Apparently I am a walking death trap. Everyone around me gets hurt in some way so apparently Jerry wants to save that from happening to Taylor. If you think about it, he's kind of right. Lindsay faced down the gun from that Blood Diamond dealer, got bit by a cobra, had a tunnel collapse on her, gets shot twice, with one killing her and there's Aiden. I bet Jerry could find out someway to tie Aiden's death to me."

"Danny, stop it. None of that was your fault. None of it," Flack said. "Danny he's got no case. He has no viable witnesses to say that you are in anyway an unfit father. If he wanted to sue you for something make it about your pool sharking! At least that's something to go on."

"Thanks Flack. Have you seen my daughter anywhere?"

"Kitchen with Stella and the boys," Flack answered. "You going to tell her now or wait awhile."

"Lindsay and I never kept things from Taylor. I'm not about to start now."

Danny wandered around the house, welcoming the condolences from those at the house. He finally made it into the kitchen where Taylor was nestled on his mother's lap listening, half asleep; to Stella tell a story about Lindsay. He stood in the door listening.

"We were knee deep in mud trying to locate a stray bullet. We could see the skid marks of where the bullet had been but we couldn't find it in all the muck," Stella was saying. "So Lindsay, who was ahead of me turns back and tells me that this was worse than the time that Mac made her process a tub of KY jelly."

"I remember that day," Danny spoke up. "We spent the next three weeks scrubbing mud out of the carpets."

"Hey Danny," Stella said. "You must have a Lindsay story better than that one."

"There was the footprint experiment on the roof, eating bugs in the break room, the kinkapoodle."

"Wait the what?" Stella asked. "I don't remember that one."

"It was the Kid Rock case, Stel. It was during the Frankie ordeal," Danny answered. "Mama, I'm going to take Taylor home now ok. I don't want to deal with anyone else right now. We'll be back though."

Connie nodded and handed the sleepy Taylor over to her daddy. Danny laid Taylor's head on his shoulder and he left out the back door. He had a lot they needed to talk about. The entire drive back into the city he rehearsed what he was going to tell her.

They arrived back at their house, the first time either of them had been there since Lindsay died. Danny flipped on the light and they looked around. He found it so strange to walk into the house without her there.

"Taye, Daddy needs to talk to you about something very important," Danny said, kneeling down to Taylor's level. "Let's go sit in Mommy's chair."

"Ok Daddy," Taylor replied.

They walked into the living room and Danny took a seat in the bright green Lazy Boy recliner that Lindsay bought a while she was on bed rest. Taylor climbed onto his lap clutching her teddy bear.

"I miss Mommy," Taylor said, hugging her bear to her chest.

"I do too, Taye. I do too," Danny sighed, kissing the top of her head. "Something happened today after you went back to Nanna's house. Grandpa Jerry talked to me and told me he wants to take you back to Montana with him and Grandma Becky. They think that you'll be happier with them there instead of here with me and Nanna and Poppa."

"But if I go to Montana Daddy, I won't get to see you," Taylor said, looking up at Danny. "I don't want to go. Please don't make me go Daddy. You'll be so lonely without me."

"I'm not going to let it happen. I'll have to talk to a judge because Grandpa Jerry is going to take me to court. Do you know what that is?"

"Like Judge Judy?" Taylor questioned.

"Yeah like on Judge Judy. But they're going to want to talk to you too. They'll want to know what you want to do. They can't take you to Montana if you don't want to go. I promise."

A few days later Danny appeared in Family Court for their first hearing. He was dressed in his best suit, the one that Lindsay had bought him the night he proposed. He was shined and polished, praying for the best. He arrived outside the courtroom and saw Jerry and Becky waiting outside the door. Danny let them walk in first then he followed them in. He took his seat next to his lawyer.

"All rise," the bailiff called out. "Case MN209302 Monroe vs. Messer. The honorable Judge Melanie Reynolds presiding. You may be seated."

Danny sat down. It had been awhile since he had been in a courtroom. The last time was when he was called by the prosecution as an expert witness. This was the first time he was ever the defendant.

"Are all parties present?" Judge Reynolds asked.

"Yes your honor," the bailiff said.

"You may proceed."

The attorney for Jerry and Becky stood up. He held a sheet of paper and began to read from it.

"My clients, Gerald and Rebecca Monroe are suing their son in law Daniel Messer for custody of their granddaughter, Taylor Lindsay Messer a minor child," the lawyer said. "They believe that Detective Messer is an unfit parent and they believe it is in the best interest of the child to be removed from her father's care."

"Under what reasoning do the Monroes see Detective Messer as an unfit parent?" Judge Reynolds asked.

"Detective Messer has a high-stress level job that requires to be on call at any hour of the day, long shifts of various lengths," the attorney said.

"What exactly is your job, Detective Messer?" Judge Reynolds asked.

"I am a crime scene investigator for the city of New York. I work for Detective Mac Taylor, your honor," Danny answered.

"It says here that you recently lost your wife," the judge read from the case file. "Was she the mother of the child in question?"

"Yes your honor," Danny answered.

"Your honor, the Monroes have twelve letters written by the deceased Lindsay Monroe to her parents over the last three years. In several of the letters Miss Monroe stated that Danny would go out with his friends after a shift and not return until very early in the morning leaving her to take care of their daughter," the lawyer said.

"Your honor as it was stated by the plaintiff, my client has a high stress level job," Danny's attorney said. "It is only natural for him to want to unwind from the day before going home to his family. On many occasions Mrs. Messer would join Detective Messer on those nights out."

"I can see that this is going to be a he said, they said case. Detective Messer, I am going to have a DCF representative come and observe you with your daughter for one week. After that week, the child will be placed with the Monroes for the same observation. Court will reconvene in two weeks from tomorrow and I will then hear testimony from witnesses and the DCF representative. Court is adjourned."

"All rise," the bailiff called out.

Judge Reynolds retired to her chambers, leaving the others in the court room. Danny sighed and buried his head in his hands. He felt like he had already lost. Three years ago he and Lindsay had hit a rough patch. They both had been working like crazy, never having time to see each other. It was then when Lindsay was calling and writing to her parents about their troubles. Now it was going to be used against him.

His lawyer was confident that with the testimonies of the team and other members of the family, Danny would not lose his daughter.

For a week, all eyes were on Danny. He didn't do anything that he normally wouldn't do on a normal day. He was still the first one up, had Taylor's lunch made or had lunch money ready for her. He helped her brush her hair, tie her shoes, do her homework. He waited with her for her bus and reminded her that Aunt Irene, his brother Louie's wife would be picking her up after school to take her over to Nanna's. The DCF representative went with Taylor to Connie and Vito's and got their opinions on the case.

That week Danny had three twelve hour shifts. He mostly took the nine to nine hours so he could be with Taylor when she was going to school. He explained that when her mother was alive they had requested that they be put on different shifts so one of them would always be home with Taylor.

"I have a very large family," Danny said to the social worker when she got around to interviewing him. "If there was ever a time that Lindsay or I could not be home Taylor always had somewhere else she could go to. My brother Louie and his wife Irene often look after Taylor after school. Or my mother or her godparents. Taylor is never longing for love and attention. To be honest with you, she does not see my wife's side of the family very often."

"I understand that Detective Messer," the social worker said. "Would this arrangement be what your wife would have wanted for your daughter?"

"Lindsay loved Taylor more than anyone else in this world, myself included. Montana would not want Taylor shipped off to Montana where she knew no one. She has quite a large group of friends in our neighborhood and in her school. To take her away from that would be more devastating than losing her mother. What Taylor needs right now is stability, her schedule. To change that now would have dire consequences."

The DCF representative noticed a great change in Taylor when she was with the Monroes. She was nervous, shy, and rightfully so, afraid. To her they were complete strangers. She was her usual self while at school but it vanished when she was with the Monroes.

"I've always liked Danny," Becky said in her interview. "He brought us our Lindsay back. When Lindsay left for New York we were not on the best of terms. But then Lindsay met Danny and things started to change. She came back to Montana more often. She called more. It was Danny's love that brought our Lindsay back."

"Mrs. Monroe, did Danny ever hit Lindsay? Abuse her in anyway?" the counselor asked.

"Danny would never do anything like that. As he once said, 'I got too many people who would kick my ass clear to Jersey and back if I ever did anything like that.'"

"In your suit you claim that Danny was responsible for two serious injuries that Lindsay sustained. What were they?"

"Danny and Lindsay were working in a collapsed tunnel and Danny had gone back up leaving Lindsay below. The tunnel collapsed, trapping Lindsay. She broke her leg. The second was a gang related shooting."

"Danny was in a gang?" the counselor asked.

"No. Danny's older brother was once in a powerful gang in the city. At their wedding a bullet that was meant for Danny's brother hit Lindsay instead."

"Do you feel that your granddaughter is in any harm in living with her father?"

"No. Danny is a good man and would never let anything happen to Taylor."

Tuesday morning arrived and Danny was sitting next to his lawyer. He had no idea what was going to be said from the DCF worker. He was very honest and forthcoming in his interviews. Sitting behind him was the team, his character witnesses. His parents were there also with Taylor, along with several other members of his family.

"All rise," the bailiff called.

The judge entered and took her seat. She rested her glasses on her nose and looked down at a sheet of paper.

"This court calls DCF representative Hannah Jacobs to the stand. Miss Jacobs, please state your name and occupation for the court," Judge Reynolds said.

"Hannah Jacobs, Department of Children and Families, your honor," Hannah said.

"Miss Jacobs, you were instructed by this court to observe the plaintiffs and defendant while with the child in question, Taylor Lindsay Messer. What did you observe while Taylor was with the Monroes?" Judge Reynolds asked.

"It was brought to my attention that Taylor did not see Mr. and Mrs. Monroe on a regular basis due to the fact that the Monroes live in Montana. I took that into consideration."

"What specifically did you notice?"

"Taylor was very nervous around Mr. and Mrs. Monroe. When asked a question she would only answer in one or two word answers. She seemed to be more at ease once she was at her school and around her friends."

"You spoke with both Mr. and Mrs. Monroe individually did you not? What were some of the things that you asked?"

"Both Mr. and Mrs. Monroe that Detective Messer was a good man, but they were torn on weather he would be a good father without their daughter around," Hannah replied. "Mrs. Monroe made it very clear to me that she liked Detective Messer a great deal. She said that it was her daughter's relationship with Danny that brought her closer to them."

"What of the accusations that Detective Messer is considered a dangerous person to be around?"

"Those accusations are all a part to prove that Detective Messer is a violent man. As I have gathered from Mrs. Monroe and several of his co-workers Danny is no more a dangerous person to be around than you or I, sir," Hannah replied. "He has never once lifted his hands in anger at his wife or daughter."

"In your opinion, based on the research and observations that you made, would it be in Taylor Messer's best interests to be taken from her father's care?" Judge Reynolds asked.

"No your honor it would not. Taylor has a good deal of friends in her neighborhood and at school. To remove her from her father's care would have more devastating effects than the loss of her mother."

"Does the counsel have any questions?" Judge Reynolds asked.

"Yes," the Monroes lawyer said.

"You may proceed."

"Miss Jacobs, the Monroes live in Montana. Is it fair to say that they got a fair assessment being that they were not at their home?"

"I observed both parties with the same mindset," Hannah replied. "What I was looking for was weather or not Taylor was comfortable around either side."

"How many hours did Detective Messer work during your week of observation?"

"He was on for three twelve hour days. According to his boss, Detective Mac Taylor, Detective Messer was given the nine to nine shift so he could see his daughter off to school," Hannah answered. "Your honor, you must take into account that before the untimely death of Mrs. Detective Messer, there was always one parent at home while Taylor was home. If neither Danny nor Lindsay could be at home, Taylor was with a relative."

"How often during your observation was Taylor at a relatives home?"

"Three times," Hannah said. "All three were during Detective Messer's shifts."

"I have no further questions, your honor," the Monroes lawyer said.

Danny's stood and began to speak. "Miss Jacobs, was Taylor lacking in anything while with her father? Was she ever sent to school hungry?"

"While I was there Detective Messer made sure that Taylor had a morning meal and had either lunch money or a bagged lunch. There was the issue of a missing shoe one morning, but that was quickly solved by the moving of a jacket."

Those in the gallery laughed at the joke Hannah had made.

"In your time at the Messer house were things ever in disarray? The house messy?"

"While I was there Mrs. Connie Messer, Danny's mother was staying with them. But from what I could tell the house was lived in."

"Miss Jacobs do you have any reason to believe that Detective Messer is a bad father?"

"No sir. Detective Messer is a loving, caring father. On the four nights he was home, he helped Taylor with her homework, read her bedtime stories and they would have dinner together."

"That is all Miss Jacobs," Danny's lawyer said.

The Monroes lawyer stood up. "We call Detective Daniel Messer to the stand."

Danny stood up and crossed the room to the witness stand.

"Please sate your name and occupation for the court," Judge Reynolds said.

"Detective Daniel Messer, Crime Scene Investigator," Danny answered.

"Detective Messer, how long have you been a CSI?" the lawyer asked.

"About eleven years sir," Danny answered.

"Do you feel that your job interferes with your family?"

"I think that everyone's job interferes with their family."

"Detective Messer now is not the time to be making jokes. On a normal day, how much of that time is taken up by job related activities?"

"About half the day sir, if you count waiting in traffic or meetings."

"So that leaves you with roughly twelve hours left over? How much of that time is spent on your daughter Taylor?"

"About seven because for the rest of the day we are both asleep."

"In the letter written to Becky Monroe by your late wife, dated November 12th of last year Miss Monroe-"

"It's _Mrs. Messer _by the way," Danny said. "She changed her name. Just because she's gone doesn't change that fact."

"Detective Messer, watch your tone," Judge Reynolds said. "The opposing counsel will refer to the deceased Lindsay Messer as Mrs. Messer."

"As I was saying in the letter written to Becky Monroe, _Mrs. Messer_ stated that four nights a week you would got out after work and not return until very early in the morning. In a response to that letter Becky suggested that you might have been having an affair."

A loud burst of laughter came from the team and from Danny. Danny pushed his glasses back up with his knuckle and looked at the lawyer.

"Last November Lindsay and I were having a rough time, that part is true. Mac, Don could you give us a wave, please?"

Mac and Don waved at the lawyer. "You see sir, if that was at all true, me cheating on Montana, those two right there would bury me in Giants stadium and make it look like an accident. So to answer your question, no I was not having an affair. Many of those nights I would be out walking, clearing my head. During that time I was working on a very disturbing case and I didn't want that haunting me while I was at home."

"The Monroes believe that you are a danger to yourself and to those around you. What happened in the Taylor street station?"

"Lindsay and I were collecting evidence in the death of a construction worker. I had finished gathering what I needed and went back up. I told Lindsay that if she wasn't up in five minutes I would be coming back down and pulling her out myself. Lindsay was very thorough. She wouldn't leave a scene until she had everything. She veered off down another tunnel when she spotted a glove. Before anyone could react the tunnel collapsed again trapping Lindsay below."

"It has been speculated that you knew the tunnel was about to collapse and you got out to save your own skin. Is that what happened?"

"The Taylor street station was unstable even while both of us were down there. It could have gone down with both of us in there. Do I wish that I had been the one trapped instead of Lindsay? Of course I do. Ask any member of my team. I was going crazy waiting for search and rescue to break through all the debris. I loved Lindsay, I didn't want to see anything bad happen to her."

"Yet she was shot on your wedding day, by a member of the Tanglewood Boys gang that you are connected to."

"I am not a member of the Tanglewood Boys. My older brother Louie was," Danny said. "The shot that hit Lindsay was meant for my brother. The kid they hired to take out my brother was a rotten shot. None of these allegations have any truth to them."

"What happened on the night of October 23rd of this year?"

"For Christmas last year I bought Lindsay season tickets to the Met. Every Saturday night we would get all dressed up and have a nice dinner. We would then go to the show. That night after the show we were waiting for a cab, like everyone else out there. A kid, whose name is Connor Bishop, a junkie from Brooklyn needed cash for a fix. He picked the perfect location. A lot of people around, pleantly of pickpockets lurk outside the Met after a show. Connor walked past us and then turned back and pulled a gun out of his pocket."

"What happened then?"

"I reacted the best I could," Danny said, tears forming in his eyes as his mind replayed the horrible night in his memory. "I drew the kid's attention on to me, staying in front of Lindsay. I offered him my wallet but then he noticed the necklace Lindsay was wearing. He demanded that she give it to him and she refused. The necklace had been a gift from me for our first anniversary." Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace. "It was a Journey pendant. She didn't want to part with it. Before I knew what happened the shot went off and the kid was gone."

"Detective Messer, could you have prevented this?"

"I have thought about that for the longest time now, sir. If I had rushed the kid, I could have gotten the gun away from him. I could have taken Lindsay's necklace and gave it to the guy. But in the brief time that I had to think about it I was doing whatever I could to protect my wife. If I had it to do over again, I would have rushed the kid and taken the risk of getting shot myself."

"Thank you Detective Messer. I have no further questions."

Danny's lawyer stood up. "Detective Messer, do you have the resources to become a single father for your daughter?"

"Yes sir. On any given day I have several back-up plans if I can't get home in time for when Taylor gets out of school. My daughter knows my cell phone number, the numbers she can reach me at the lab, Don Flack's numbers, Stella Bonasera-Flack, Dr. Sheldon Hawkes; all of these people are on Taylor's emergency contact form at school."

"I'm looking at that form right now. There are quite a few other names on this list as well. But what is puzzling me is, why aren't Lindsay's parents on that list?" Danny's lawyer asked.

"The Monroes live in Montana, 2300 miles away. If something was to happen to Taylor and I can't be reached I need someone close by."

"Had this contact form been created before your wife's death?"

"Yes sir. If I remember correctly when we registered Taylor for school we spent a great deal of time arguing over who we wanted on it and why."

"Why Mr. and Mrs. Flack?"

"Don and Stella are Taylor's godparents. They have known her since she was three hours old. We only put people on the list that Taylor knows and feels comfortable going to if something were to happen."

"Danny, would removing Taylor from your care be something that Lindsay would have wanted?"

"No. Montana would not want Taylor taken from me."

"Thank you Detective Messer. I have no further questions."

"You may step down," Judge Reynolds.

"I would like to call Taylor Lindsay Messer to the stand," Danny's lawyer said.

Danny turned around and watched his precious little girl walk down with his mother. He gave her a warm smile. Taylor was wearing a dress that Lindsay had bought her for her birthday that year. Connie had set her hair in curlers so Taylor could look her best for this. Taylor clung tightly to her teddy bear.

Danny's lawyer pulled up a chair close to the stand so he would be on the same level as Taylor.

"Can you tell us your name and how old you are?" he asked.

Taylor looked around the big room, clearly frightened. She caught her father's eyes and he nodded at her.

"Taylor Lindsay Messer. I'm seven years old."

"Who do you have with you today?"

"This is Marine, my bear. My Uncle Mac gave him to me when I was four. That's why his name is Marine. Cause Uncle Mac was a Marine."

The team members and others in the gallery laughed.

"Miss Taylor, do you know the two people sitting over there?" the lawyer asked, pointing at Jerry and Becky Monroe.

"Yes. That's Grandma and Grandpa Monroe. They're Mommy's parents."

"Do you know that they want you to come live with them in Montana?"

"Yes I do. But I don't want to go. Daddy said that they can't make me go if I don't want to."

"Why don't you want to go to Montana?"

"If I go to Montana, I won't get to make cannolis with Nanna, watch baseball with Poppa, play in the park with Eric and Hunter or get to have hot cocoa with Daddy at Rockaseller Plaza at Christmas."

"Are those things important to you Taylor?"

"Yeah. If I go to Montana I won't get to see Daddy anymore. We'll be too far away. I like New York. I like my school."

"What kind of things do you like to do?"

Taylor thought about it for a minute. "I liked watching Mommy get ready for her dates with Daddy. She always let me spray on her perfume. I like going to the lab with Daddy. He once let me look at my own blood on the big microscope. It was so cool. They looked like tiny donuts."

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Taylor, do you miss your Mommy?"

"Uh-huh. I miss her a lot. So does Daddy. I can't leave him by himself."

"Do you think that your Mommy would want you to stay with your Daddy or go with her parents?"

"No. Mommy would want me with Daddy so we could get better together."

"Thank you Taylor. You may step down now."

Taylor climbed out of the chair leaving Marine behind. "You may need this Miss Taylor," Danny's lawyer said, holding out Marine.

Taylor took Marine and went back to her seat next to Stella and Connie. Danny's lawyer sat back down. Danny leaned over to him. "Thanks Dave. We wouldn't have a moments peace if that bear went missing."

Judge Reynolds called an hour recess so she could make a decision. Danny took everyone out to lunch.

"I'm confidant that you'll keep your daughter Danny," Dave said. "Taylor has friends and family here. You have more than enough support to help with the transistion. Everything will be fine. I personally loved the burying you in Giants stadium bit."

Despite all that had happened, Danny couldn't help but be worried. He knew that nothing would ever be the same for him and Lindsay's family again. This action could cost them big. Not just in the monetary but in the respect of Danny. He was just glad that Lindsay wasn't around to see this happen.

An hour later Danny stood in the courtroom awaiting Judge Reynolds verdict. The judge entered and sat down at her bench. She held up a sheet of paper and took a breath.

"In the case of Monroe vs. Messer I have made a decision. In the matter of custody of seven year old Taylor Lindsay Messer, this court rules that she is to remain with her father in New York. I feel that it is in the best interests of the child to remain amongst the familiar faces during this difficult time. Court is adjourned."

Danny looked over at the Monroes. Their expressions were torn. Becky was thrilled that the case turned out the way it was supposed to. Jerry had no expression. Becky made eye contact with Danny. He took that as a good sign that everything would get back to normal soon enough.

That night Danny lay awake in his bed staring at the celing. When he finally fell asleep he was dreaming he was in the park. He was walking to Strawberry Field. There, standing there looking up at the sky was Lindsay. She was wearing a flowing white dress, her hair all glittery and shining.

"Hey Messer," she said.

"Montana," Danny breathed. He wanted to run to her but he knew this was dream and he would just run right through her.

She walked over to him, placing her hand in his. He could feel the warmth of her hand in his. She interlocked her fingers with his. Danny wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"I can't believe you're gone," Danny said, tears catching in his voice.

"I'll never really be gone Danny," Lindsay whispered. "I'll always be with you. No matter what. I love you and only you. It's always been you."

"Don't say anything. I just want to feel you in my arms again. I want to hold you, capture your every feature, curve, glance in my soul and never let it out. I want to commit everything about you to memory so when Taylor asks me later on, what my mother was like I can tell her. I can tell her that you always smelled of vanilla, lavender, Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, Tide laundry soap and my after shave. I want to be able to tell her that you hated slasher movies, no matter how many times we would watch Casablanca you always wanted Bogie to go with Ingrid and you would cry."

"Danny shut up. Kiss me. Kiss me."

Danny took her face in his hands, kissing her forehead, each cheek, the tip of her nose, finally settling on her lips. He held her close never wanting to let go again. She was the first to pull away. She placed her hand on his cheek and started to walk away.

He caught her hand and pulled her back to him. "Don't go. Please stay with me."

"You have to go back Danny," Lindsay said, tears glistening in her eyes. "Taylor needs you. I love you. I love you so much. Goodbye Danny."

Danny woke with a start. Down the hall he heard his little girl crying. He threw off his blankets and ran to her room.

"Mommy! Mommy where are you? Come back!" Taylor was crying.

Danny sat on the edge of her bed and gently woke her. He took her into his arms and rocked her until she fell back asleep. He curled up in the rocking chair that had been present in Taylor's room since the day she was born. Whatever he had to do to keep the nightmares at bay.

About a month and a half after Danny won the right to keep Taylor, Christmas arrived. Connie had granted Danny leave from the family Christmas party, something that was unheard of in the Messer family. Danny and Taylor had a quiet Christmas at home. He felt the twinge of guilt in opening the few gifts without Lindsay. He looked up at the family picture above their fireplace. Taylor was sitting on a stool in front of he and Lindsay. Like in all pictures, Lindsay's head was resting lovingly on Danny's shoulder.

"Look at this one Daddy," Taylor called from under the tree. She came out from under the tree holding a small red box that Danny did not remember putting there.

"Who's it from Taye?" Danny asked.

"It says it's from Mommy, for me," Taylor said. She crossed the room to Danny and climbed into his lap. Together they opened the box.

Inside was a silver locket about the size of a quarter. Taylor carefully popped it open and saw two pictures inside. On the left was a picture of Lindsay and on the other side was a picture of Danny. The card inside the box read, "So we'll always be close to your heart. Love Mom."

Danny was just as stunned by the gift as Taylor was. He had no memory of Lindsay ever purchasing this locket or him even finding it hidden amongst the things hidden in the closet. It was a Christmas miracle. Just the miracle that Danny and Taylor needed to receive to start becoming whole again. It would take time. But time heals all wounds and they would be all right. They had to be.


	9. My Name is Taylor Lindsay Messer

**A/N: I am aware that I am public enemy number one in this small community of CSI:NY viewers at the moment. But go with me on this. This is the last chapter of Moments Like These. This chapter is in the format of an admissions essay written by Danny and Lindsay's daughter Taylor. I think you guys will really like it. I still own nothing.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Nine: My Name is Taylor Lindsay Messer

_My name is Taylor Lindsay Messer and this is my Student Government admissions essay. The topic of this essay was to write about a significant moment in our lives that shaped us into the people we are today. All my life I have been taught this one lesson: Anyone can to anything to anyone at anytime. The first time I learned that particular lesson I was seven years old. The lesson began the night my mother was murdered outside the Metropolitan Opera House ten years ago. _

_I was seven years old at the time and had just finished a month at St. Sebastian's Prep. Things in my life were good. I was an only child, not by choice but because of outside circumstances. I had a loving family, friends and a slew of aunts and uncles that showered me with wisdom and occasionally gifts. _

_Not everyone knew the reason behind my name. I was named after my uncle Mac Taylor and the Taylor street subway station. As my mother told in a bedtime story one night, I got my name because it was my uncle Mac that gave my mom the job that led her to the city. It was in the NYPD crime lab where she met my father. After a series of interesting events, my parents fell in love, but neither one would say anything to the other. It took the Taylor street subway tunnel to collapse on my mom before Dad would admit that he loved her. _

_There were no two people more opposite than my parents. My father Danny was a tough-talking, street-smart, hot tempered Italian, Staten Island boy whereas my mother Lindsay grew up on a ranch in Montana. That also happened to be my father's nickname for my mom, Montana. According to my aunt Stella, Dad used to call her that because it bugged her. But then she started to realize that he did it because he really liked her. So as you can see, my father loved my mother dearly._

_The Christmas before I turned seven my father had bought my mother season tickets to the Metropolitan Opera. Mom loved getting to get all dressed up with Dad once a week. They loved getting to go to a real restaurant where they could order something other than chicken fingers and French fries my meal of choice at the time. I loved watching my mother get ready for her "date" with Dad. _

_Usually on those Saturday nights I was picked up by Nanna Messer and I would spend the night with her and be promptly returned after Mass on Sunday mornings. Mom always said I would come home smelling of a combination of vanilla, lavender, tomato sauce and incense from the church._

_Saturday October 23rd, started out like any other Saturday night. My mother was in her bedroom putting her hair up, applying her makeup, clasping on her jewelry and picking out her dress for that night. That night she chose a full length ball gown in a dark green with black embroidered ivy along the sides. I had never seen that dress before. I remember the look on Mom's face when she looked in the mirror. It was the same look she had in every picture she was in with Dad. The look of complete happiness. _

_My job was to make sure that Dad didn't spill anything on his suit and to spray Mom with her perfume. Mom wore Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. After Mom died Dad bought every bottle he could find. He also spent hours in the lab creating a spray that he called Montana. It had every element that was my mom in it. It had her shampoo, conditioner, body wash, perfume and her laundry soap. He kept it hidden in his closet and when it got to the point where the scent of Mom could not be found on her pillow or on her clothes, Dad would take out the bottle and spray a little of his Montana back onto them. _

_Shortly after Mom was ready the doorbell rang. Nanna had arrived to take me over to her house for the night. I remember vividly every detail of those final moments with my mother. I ran back up to my room to retrieve my backpack and teddy bear that Uncle Mac had bought for me when I was four and had broken my arm. Mom was waiting for me when I came back downstairs. She hugged me, told me to have a good time, mind my manners, and that she loved me more than I knew. She kissed my cheek and watched me leave with Nanna. She and Dad waved from the stoop. That was the last time I would see my mother alive. _

_A few hours later, while watching Finding Nemo for the millionth time, the doorbell rang. I got up from the floor and ran to answer the door. I turned the porch light on and saw my godparents, my Aunt Stella and Uncle Don standing there, looking very sad. I asked why they were here and Aunt Stella said, "Can we come in? We have to tell you and your grandparents something important."_

_I never imagined what Aunt Stella was about to tell me. Nothing could prepare my seven year old psyche for the news that my mother had been murdered outside her favorite place in the entire city. Aunt Stella told me something that night that I have never forgotten. "Taylor," she said. "I'm going to tell you something that your mom told me about you. You were the best thing that ever happened to her. She loved you more than anyone else I knew."_

_In the days that followed Mom's death things around my house got very tense. As I soon found out, my grandfather Jerry Monroe, was suing Dad for custody of me. Grandpa Jerry had himself convinced that my father was not fit to raise me, that he was dangerous, a wild card that couldn't be trusted. For two weeks my entire family was put under the watch of a DCF rep. Her name was Hannah Jacobs. She came to school with me, to the lab with my dad, came to Nanna's and was very nice. I like to think that she was the one who kept me in New York with my dad. _

_That Christmas I found a small red box under the tree. Dad had never seen it before and had no idea where it came from. The tag on the box said it was for me and it was from Mom. I opened the box and found the silver locket that I always wear. I opened it up and found a picture of my mom and dad. The card on the bottom of the box said, "So you can keep us close to your heart. Love Mom."_

_Dad had no idea where it had come from or who had brought in the house. We finally decided that it was a true Christmas miracle. It was just the thing that Dad and I needed to make our lives whole without Mom there. It took time but Dad and I made it work. There were nights when I would wake up crying for Mom and Dad would be there to rock me back to sleep. _

_When I got older I asked my father why Connor Bishop killed Mom. He looked at me and said flatly, "In this lifetime I have learned that anyone can do anything to anyone."_

_I carry that lesson with me all the time. Just like the locket. I hold both close to my heart, for there no one can take them away from me. _

Seventeen year old Taylor Messer shut her laptop, pleased with the essay she had written. She looked over at the clock and noticed that it was getting close to five thirty. Her father would be home soon and they would have dinner. She was making his favorite, spaghetti and meatballs.

"Did I ever tell you about the case Hawkes and I worked on with the strange food?" Danny asked, that night at dinner.

"Wasn't that the one where Uncle Mac bet you five bucks that Mom would eat one of the bugs?" Taylor questioned.

"We had mealworm spaghetti, Thai dragonflies, stinkbug pâté, cricket croquets, braised ant brochette, wasp tamales, deep fried breaded spiders and grasshopper chutney," Danny said. "We were mocked mercilessly by the rest of the team for weeks."

"Mom used to say that you would put gummy worms in the spaghetti just to remind her," Taylor said, twirling her noodles on her fork. "She said gummy worm spaghetti was your wedding reception dinner."

"It didn't start out that way," Danny said. "We were going to have prime rib and salmon at the Plaza, but after Montana got shot things changed."

Danny loved talking about Lindsay with Taylor. His daughter was getting to that age in life where she wanted to know how her parents met and fell in love. He also knew that she was using the information for her admissions essay for Student Council.

"How's your paper coming along?" Danny asked, sopping up the last of the sauce with a breadstick.

"I finished it this afternoon. You can read it if you want."

"What was the topic?" Danny asked.

"Describe a significant moment in your life that shaped who you are today," Taylor said.

"What did you pick?"

"Mom's murder," Taylor answered, looking down at her plate. "I don't mean to pry at this Dad but has there ever been a time when you wished it had been you instead of Mom?"

Danny knew this question was coming. He had thought about his answer for a long time. There were times just after they had lost Lindsay when yes he did wish it had been him taken out. But then there were other times when he didn't.

"Every now and then," Danny answered. "Like when you decided that you were going to date Eric Flack. You owe me fifty bucks on that by the way."

"What?" Taylor asked. "Why?"

"Flack made a joke when you guys were kids that you would end up dating one of his and Stella's boys. I said never in a million years and then he bet me fifty bucks."

"Sorry Daddy," Taylor laughed, smiling.

"You know when you do that you look so much like her," Danny said softly. "Or when you look at me like I'm crazy."

They looked at each other, each remembering something different about Lindsay. Danny sighed and scooped another helping of spaghetti onto his plate.

"When do you have to have your paper in by?" Danny asked.

"Monday," Taylor answered. "I'm probably going to go over it a few more times just to make sure it's right."

"You want me to read it when you're finished with it?"

"Only if you want to. I mean there's a lot of personal family stuff in it," Taylor said. "It's there if you want to read it."

Danny nodded. He understood that whatever his daughter had written in that paper it meant a great deal to her. He knew that none of her friends had ever gone through what Taylor had at such a young age. Taylor had lost her mother in a stupid senseless crime and had almost been taken away from her father by her grieving grandparents.

It had taken a long time but Danny was finally back on speaking terms with Becky and Jerry Monroe. Danny was sorry for the way things had turned out and Jerry apologized for the suit. He and Taylor now heard from them on a weekly basis. Taylor kept them informed on her schooling and her life. Becky had asked her once if her father had dated anyone at all.

"No Grandma," Taylor answered. "There was only one woman on this earth for Dad and she's gone. I think he's happy with it just being me and him."

Monday morning Taylor was up and out the door to school before Danny had even had his first cup of coffee. Being an overachiever, she wanted her essay to be the first one her leadership teacher read that day. Out of those selected to be in Student Council there would be a nomination ceremony for the officer positions. Taylor was a shoe in for council president. She had a good base of friends, had perfect grades and was well liked by the majority of the student body at St. Anthony Prep.

A week later the council members were chosen and the nominations were in. Taylor was nominated for president along with James Ryan. She was so excited that she went straight to the lab to tell her father. She rode the elevator to the 35th floor of the ME's office and stepped into the lab. She looked down the hall for her dad. She saw Stella instead.

"Aunt Stella!" Taylor called.

Stella stopped and turned around. A big smile encased her face when she saw her goddaughter. "Taye! Danny didn't say you were stopping by today. Did something happen?"

"I have to tell Dad first. Is he here?" Taylor asked, pure joy emanating from her.

"I think he's in autopsy with Mac," Stella replied. "Do you want me to beep him?"

"No. It can wait. I'll be in his office. Can I use the copier in Uncle Mac's office?"

"Yeah sure," Stella said. "Are you sure you can't tell me? I'm really good at keeping secrets."

"This I have to tell Dad first. But you're second on the list, Aunt Stella. I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that. You owe me anyway for stealing my spotlight at my wedding!"

"I was fifteen months old, Aunt Stella! Let it go!"

Taylor took off down the hall to her father's office. Not much in it had changed over the years. He still had his and Lindsay's wedding picture in its frame closest to his computer. Next to it was Taylor's school photo. Taylor sat behind her father's desk and began to do her chemistry homework.

The nicest thing about having a Dad that worked in a lab, she had all the homework helpers she could ask for. When one particular problem stumped her, she wandered around the lab for someone who could help her. She found Hawkes in the recon room. He was more than happy to set aside his experiment to help Taylor with her chemistry problem.

"Do you think we could run this experiment in the lab? See if it actually works?" Taylor asked, when they had finished.

"You may be the angel of the lab, but I think you can survive not knowing, Taylor," Hawkes said. "Hey there goes your dad."

"Thanks for the help, Uncle Sheldon!"

Danny had beat Taylor to his office. He knew instantly that Taylor had been there. Her backpack was slung over the back of his chair, her school books covering the top of his desk and the can of Diet Pepsi sitting on a coaster. He heard her come in.

"You know they assign homework to be done at _home_," Danny teased. "You took my good pen again."

"I've been nominated for council president!" Taylor announced.

"That's great Taye! I am so proud of you!"

"Now that I told you I have to go tell Aunt Stella. I'll be right back," Taylor said, rushing out.

"Taylor, my pen!"

As he said that the pen in question came flying into the room. "Thank you!"

News spread around the lab that Danny's daughter had been nominated for student council president. For the rest of the afternoon, countless people poked their head into Danny's office to congratulate him. He could not contain how proud of Taylor he was. He knew that growing up with just him hadn't been easy for either of them. She had turned into a remarkable young lady under his nose.

He stared at the photo of the woman he had loved with all his heart and soul. It was times like these that he wished she was there to share in all this. There were still nights that he dreamt of her, could feel her embrace, her touch, he even could make out the sound of her voice.

"I miss you so much Montana," he whispered, placing his fingers to his lips and pressing them on the picture.

When he arrived home that night he was met with the sounds of the stereo blasting, smells of Chinese take out and the chatter of teenage girls. Taylor had posters, art supplies and a button machine spread out all over the living room. Her three best friends, Kellie, Layla and Meg were covered in glitter and hole punch dots.

"Apparently I've walked into campaign central," Danny said, setting down his keys.

"I'll get it all cleaned up Dad. There's veggie lo main, two egg rolls and almond chicken in the fridge for you. We'll be done in an hour, I promise."

"It's never just one hour," Danny said to himself as he escaped to the quiet of the kitchen.

He soon heard the door bell ring. More of the campaign members had arrived. He heard the distinct voices of the Flack boys. Danny could not get over how much the boys looked like Flack. They had their father's height, their mother's curly hair and a combination of both of their eye colors. They were good looking boys. Danny poked his head into the living room to check on the progress of poster making.

On all of the posters Taylor had as her slogan: TLM for you. Tender, Loving Management brought to you by Taylor Lindsay Messer. I'll be on the scene for you! He had never thought that she would go by both her first and middle names. She started it when she hit third grade and Danny couldn't talk her out of it. Taylor no longer had a middle name. She was Taylor Lindsay Messer, no more no less. It was more than Danny could have ever wished for.

Epilogue: Taylor ended up winning the election. She and Eric Flack were the number one couple at St. Anthony's until she graduated, they are still good friends. She graduated with top honors and was class elected speaker. The speech she gave was her admissions essay for Student Council. As she spoke at graduation, she looked down the row of her family. She smiled at her father. Next to him was Poppa Messer; Nanna had died just after she had turned eighteen. Next to them was her godparents Don and Stella Flack, and the rest of her father's coworkers that she had known and loved all her life. As she looked back over at her father Taylor Lindsay Messer noticed another person in the row. She was a short reddish-brown haired woman with soft brown eyes. Taylor knew her anywhere. It was her mother, her guardian angel.

Taylor Lindsay Messer went to NYU where she majored in political science and law. She worked her way through college as a personal assistant to the mayor. She went onto law school at Columbia. She is now a member of the DA, working the other side of the law. There was not a prouder father in the seats of the Columbia Law school graduation than Danny Messer. He smiled proudly when he heard the best name in the world be called.

"Graduating suma kum lade, Taylor Lindsay Messer," the dean called.

Just like at her high school graduation all of the people that she loved were in the audience watching and cheering her on. When her name was called as suma kum lade, there was a loud cheering from her family's row. She had overcome great tribulations to get to this moment. It was a defining moment not only for her but for the man that had raised her. And the woman who watched from heaven. Both could not have been prouder of their little girl. And that made Taylor smile.

The End


End file.
